Post by seven on Oct 16, 2008 13:13:50 GMT -5
The silhouette of a man stood against the dark blue backdrop of an early night. He stood motionless watching the very last rays of light disappear over the horizon. He looked out over the land before him him, It was his home, the only place he had ever known, and the only place he ever wanted to go. But tonight this land, his land was threatened by a horrible foe, and he would stand up and fight back, driving the children of the shadows back from whence they came. When the sun fully set thats went hell would be unleashed.
Several noises could be heard behind him. In fact several hundred men were no more than a quarter mile away preparing for an onslaught. These were the finest warriors in the Persian army. Tonight they too would stand and fight for their lives and homes as well. Most knew they wouldn't return, but still they sharpened their blades, and showed no signs of fear or remorse. The foe they would battle tonight was a sinister army of vampires that had ravaged the lands and killed thousands. These men prepared to stop the vampiric horde once and for all.
The sound of approaching footsteps alerted the man to another's presence. He knew who the approaching person was, it was his father, a mighty and fierce warlord in the Persian army. However he made no acknowledgment of the other and continued to stare out over the soon to be battlefield. For some reason he was afraid tonight. Death had never frightened him before, but things were different now that he was married and had a son. He closed his eyes at the thought of the boy suppressing his fear.
"Levias" His father shouted. "Come and strap on that demonic thing so we can send these creatures back to hell" His voice was sharp and cold, Most wouldn't even know he was his father, simply for the lack of affection. Levias turned quickly on his heel and bowed "I am sorry father, i wanted to see them" He looked up at his father, and before he could respond Levias walked past him toward the camp.
Silhouette of a Dead Man
*****************************************************************************
Name: Levias Conrad
Age: 789, but appears to be only 23
Sex: Male
Species: Vampire
*****************************************************************************
The camp was teaming with activity, soldiers rushed about looking for their weapons or shields. While others drank and gambled. Overall the moral of these men were very high, even in the face of certain doom. Levias Made his way swiftly through th camp. Some men tried to talk to him while others merely got out of his way. The men looked up to Levias he was a symbol of power to them. His father however didn't share their views.
A small modest tent sat toward the edge of the camp. It was red in color and smaller than most of the others. This was the tent of Levias. Inside there was a treasure which no other man could wield. The weapon demontail. This is why the man had such respect for him. Levias was the only one who could wield such a demonic weapon. And that was also the one thing that irritated his father. To Master only one weapon, and one that is so unreliable at that was not a prized trait.
Levias quickly entered the humble dwelling. He sat down at the edge of a soft thick bed and placed his head in his hands. Tonight would be the last time he would use demontail. After this battle he would lock it up forever. A gentle sigh escaped him as he sat thinking about his future. "Never again" he whispered into the darkness. After a few moments he raised his head and looked over at a small chest near the other end of the tent. It was only 4 foot by 4 foot and it wasn't very nice looking. But inside was the demonic force that would aid them tonight.
After a few more moments Levias walked over to the chest. With another sigh he knelt down beside and slowly opened the lid. Inside were a few pieces of cloth covering a steel whip. Razors lined its entire length, and the tip was a razor sharp rose thorn point. This weapon was forged by a lunatic, possessed by the devil. Each blade was inscribed with demonic markings. Despite the fact that it was made out of steel, it remained light as a feather.
The weapon came easily out of its box as Levias pulled it out. It was almost as if it wanted the freedom and yearned for the blood it was to spill tonight. He wrapped the thicker back end around his arm, and locked it onto his wrist with a brace. No one could take it away from him without severing his arm now. Outside the tent Soldiers could be heard yelling. It seemed the vampires had arrived.
******************************************************************************
Weapons:
DemonTail
In the event of a fight, Levias relies on Two weapons. One A ten foot long whip like weapon known as DemonTail. Though the origin of this weapon are unknown, as well as how it came into the possession of Levias, it stands to reason that he has mastered its usage quite well. Demontail itself is a long steel chain with razor blades attached every few inches. The razor blades are about two inches long, and shaped like a rose thorn. The End of the Demon Tail, is a razor sharp rose thorn spike. Its about four inches long and can easily puncture the skin of a victim. The entire weapon is attached to Levias's Left arm and wrist.
This weapon is intended to break an opponents defenses by snaring their weapons while they try to block. With its extreme flexibility, it is able to wrap around both swords and other small weapons, as well as larger ones. In the event that it wraps around an appendage like an arm or a leg, it would easily slice the skin to ribbons. This weapon is also used well offensively to strike an opponent who might be out of reach of a conventional sword. With its rose thorn tip, it could easily pierce an opponent and then be used to drag them to the user. If used properly it would function much like a whip.
The Other is a dagger that has been passed through his family for generations. Its origins are unknown as well, but it has been in the Conrad family for nearly 400 years. The dagger itself is plain looking, aside from the fact that it has a hooped finger guard along the back side. The handle looks as though it could have been made out of intricately carved ivory, while the blade itself is a stunning silver.
This weapon is used effectively with demontail as a defensive and occasionally aggressive manor. Opponents can be pulled foreword with one and impaled with the other, or one can be used to block while the other to strike. Levias has learned to use both weapons incredibly well, and its hard to tell which is more dangerous.
Weapons In Use
*****************************************************************************
Levias stood up as a man clad in heavy armor entered his tent. "Sir, they are here, we can see them now" The soldier was out of breath and had a tone that suggested excitement. "We need you out there, your father requests your presence at the front line" The soldier looked at The weapon now bound to Levias's arm and a smile could be seen under his helmet.
Levias said nothing as the man spoke, but when he noticed him staring at demontail he almost felt angry. "Avert your eyes and return to the field, prepare for a bloodbath" he hissed as he pulled an old dagger from inside the chest. The dagger was his fathers at one point, but had been passed on to Levias on the day of his birth. The soldier quickly turned around and left the tent, Levias followed after him.
People were frantically running this way and that just trying to prepare last minute. Several men came by on horses, stopping in front of Levias. "Sir, your steed" one of the men said as he pulled a fine white horse foreword. "Ride it to the front line, where your father awaits" They spoke softly, with much less excitement than the soldier before had. They almost seemed to dread the coming battle. Levias mounted the horse and took took off toward the front lines.
****************************************************************************
Specialties:
Heightened Sense's:
When Levias was turned he found his once normal senses to be heightened. His sense of hearing became so powerful that he could track a heart beat several rooms away. His sense of smell was sensitive enough to pick up a drop of blood a block away. His sense of touch now enabled him to feel the slightest breeze, or even a change in temperature. And most importantly his sense of sight was heightened to the point were he could pinpoint movement and see in the dark. His sense of taste was also enhanced and has allowed him to enjoy all the wonders of human cuisine,
Faster Reflexes:
Levias has always had fast reflexes, even when he was human he was able to respond to something in micro seconds. However After He was turned his reflexes seemed to increase tenfold, most likely due to his increased senses. With increase reflexes came decreased response time. He was now able to Respond as something was happening and in rare instances A few micro seconds early. Some have stated that his reflexes border on precognition.
Increased Speed and Agility:
Speed and agility are natural traits that most Persian soldiers valued. If someone was faster than their opponent the fight as always in their favor. Levias was raised by this. His father had pushed this on him from a young age. After being turned it was only natural for his speed and agility to be increased.
Increased Strength:
Levias was never a very strong person, his focus had always been on speed, and killing quickly without getting into close combat. However he was pleased to discover that with him turning his natural strength seemed to triple, giving him an edge over human combatants. His strength does however lack when compared to vampires and Lycans.
Fast Recover Time:
One of the more pronounced traits, that is one he hadn't had before turning, was an unnatural healing, and recovery time. Wounds that would take weeks to recover only took days. When feeding those same wounds could be healed in minutes. Giving Levias an uncanny edge against human opponents once again.
Unique and Unmatchable Fighting style:
This was the one trait that didn't change after being turned. Levias had one of the more elegant fighting styles in the Persian army at that time. This was due to the weapons he carried. It took a unique style to wield such a unique weapon. As a bonus Levias was able to use any part of his body to fight, most of the time favoring unarmed combat as a pose to tearing opponents to shreds with demontail.
Weakness:
Increased Aggression:
This unfortunately was a problem even before Levias was turned to a vampire. The initial root of this problem lays within the weapon that is now fused to his soul. Even when he had the ability to take it off, wearing it would bring out his dark side. It gave him the ability to kill without remorse. Now that it is part of him, he often finds himself angry for no reason, and can lash out toward others. For the most part he is able to control it, but during times of great stress, or if he should be wounded to a certain point, he loses control and lashes out.
Occasional Inability to Control Actions:
This problem goes hand in hand with his aggression. The weapon known as demontail is believed to have a will of its own, and at times when Levias is not focused or is unable to react normally, he may act irregularly, and even violently. With practice and meditation he has gained more control over himself, but he has a long way to go before he can consider himself safe.
Sunlight:
This is one of the weaknesses he inherited when he was turned. Sunlight burns his skin, and in a matter of seconds would kill him. Levias has tried numerous times over the years to venture out in sunlight, even once attempting suicide by taking a walk in the early morning light.Never has he lasted more than a few seconds before he has to go back into hiding. He has now given up on ever seeing the sun again.
Hatred of Vampires:
Levias has always hated the creatures of the night. In life he was told about them in stories by his father. They were always described as blood thirsty monsters, out to kill anyone and anything they met. He had killed a few before being turned, simply out of hatred. But after they took his life, and the life of his family and friends, his grudge only strengthened. Now he spends his time hunting those responsible and any others he might come across.
******************************************************************************
Levias rode up to the front lines. Before he had even arrived he could see his father conversing with the generals. And off in the distance, he could see the hundreds of torches belonging to the vampires. A wave of fear rippled through his body as he only imagined how many of them their really was. He stopped the horse next to his father and dismounted, while another soldier came over to lead the horse away.
"Father...Are we really able to do this?" Fear could be heard in his voice as he spoke. This wasn't a common occurrence for Levias. Fear was not something he had ever known, but now he had a son and wife, and he desperately wanted to be there for them. Even as he stood there a shiver ran through his body, but if anyone asked or mentioned it he would say it was the cold.
The stern looking man that was his father turned to look at Levias. "You would show fear now, in front of all these men ready to die, in the face of our adversary" He stopped speaking, because he couldn't think of anything to else to say to his son. He looked him over bringing his eyes to rest on the demonic weapon. "Well at least you have that" he said with a frown before turning to speak with the generals again.
Levias couldn't look his father in the eyes as he spoke to him. It was hurtful to know his father didn't approve of him. He turned to walk away when his father voice came out sharp over the crowd. "Levias take A single battalion and have them flank the vampires." That was it. No good luck, no i hope it works out, not even a good bye. Levias fought back the anger inside himself, and continued on to the edge of the lines to pick his battalion.
******************************************************************************
Appearance:
Most would agree, there is not to much that stands out, when it comes to Levias's appearance. Most would say he looks plain. He has no major scars, and no tattoos or piercings. Levias prides himself on taking excellent care of himself, and sees no need to mark himself up. He isn't considered to be a big man, standing at 5'11" and weighing 170lbs. His skin tone would suggest, to anyone standing by him, that he hasn't seen much light in years. Truth being he hasn't seen the sun in almost more than 700 years. He is Mildly toned, suggesting he trains, but not to the extent that he is ripped, and chiseled.
Levias has Dark Blue eyes,and long black hair. This is another set of features that people would say is plain and normal. His hair is straight and shoulder length, and for some reason always has the look of just being wet. His eyes, are one of his least favorite attributes. He always believes they are misleading, and will get upset if he catches people trying to look into his eyes for too long.
Clothing that is soft and open, are Levias's choice. He likes silks, and other soft materials, and will only wear things that have good airflow. Shirts are often rarely buttoned, and in the event that they are, have a large open neck. He will wear a good sturdy pair of shoes, or in most cases a pair of good worn in sandals. In fact if people tried to guess by the way he dressed, they would probably assume he was either traveling, or poor.
Levias does have one unique trait that allows him to stand out. The weapon demontail that is fused to his arm. He is usually able to hide it in a cloak, or even wrap it around his waste like a belt, but people always seem to notice, and it can be more than a little upsetting when people stare at it.
*******************************************************************************
Levias ordereda small group of soldiers to follow him. They followed quickly and the group now lead by Levias started to travel around some nearby cliffs, to gain some ground on the vampires. It was amazing how quietly a group of heavily armed men could travel, the only sounds that could be heard were off in the disatance, War cries and battle cheers of the vampires. Levias looked back to count how many men had actually followed him. From the looks of it around fifty or so odd men.
They continued on for several more minutes till they could see a break in the cliffs, that was going to be where they came through to flank the vampires. With a smile Levias turned to face his men. They stood ready to go, all looking confident and proud. He raised his Left hand in the air to get their attention. They all looked at him, and as he opened his mouth to speak no words came out. There was nothing he could say to comfort or inspire them, when he himself was afraid.
After a few moments of silence he could hear war horns. The vampires had started their charge. In the distance they could be heard yelling, and running, thousands of them.He listened and heard the horns of his fathers men, and the sounds of them rushing into battle. For a moment all that could be heard was the sounds of charging armies, and then finaly he was able to see the vampires. They were running right by the cliff opening just as had been planned. Maybe things would go well after all, he thought as he watched the battle hardened creatures charge past them.
It took several minutes for them to stop running past, and the sounds of combat could already be heard. Swords clashed, and blood ran. Levias turned to his men again, and this time held up his right hand with the dagger, he pointed it at the opening and shouted "LETS GIVE EM HELL" With that said a roar of cheers could be heard from his men and they all rushed out of the opening. Several stopped as they exited and gawked with aww at the size of the vampires army. They were a huge mass pushing into the smaller human defenses. Levias Snapped demontail in the air to get the mens attention again. "LETS GO" he shouted as he ran past a few of them.
The only thing Levias could think of as he ran into battle was his family. He prayed that he might return to them, but after seeing the opposinf force he held no hope. He would however make his father proud. Levias reached the outside of the vampires forces and whipped demontail at the first thing he could. He caught the unlucky creature by the neck and in one move pulled it back and stabbed it in the heart. it crumpled to the ground as Levias's men clashed with the back end of the force. Several arrows were even seen being shot into the vampires by archers from his fathers side, this would prove to be a hazard now, so he made a mental note to keep an eye to the sky.
********************************************************************************
Personality:
People who have the opportunity to get to know Levias would say he is one of the most patient and caring people they have ever met. He feels there is no need to rush life, and no matter what the mistake its always a learning experience. Levias is one of the few people who cares greatly for the whole of mankind. He has watched over them, learned with them, and even protected them from those that might wish their down fall.
Levias is not someone who is overly friendly, only a select few have ever really gotten to know him. He believes attachements arent a good thing to have, they only lead to pain and suffering. He does however occaisionally enjoy talking to random people about whatever might be on his mind. He usually wont speak his mind except during those rare instances.
Most of the time Levias is quiet. He isent someone who is quick witted, or sparky, unless you happen to be someone who he likes, in which case you will see the side of him that he hides from everyone else. But a majority of the time he is focused on his task, revenge. He can be quite blunt and sharp, but that is more an act to keep people away.
Levias also has another side that manifests itself from time to time. It is his darker side, a cruel and harsh alternate personality that often forces Levias to hurt or kill all those around him. It is his own dark ambitions being forced to manifest through the demonic weapon he carries. When it fused to his soul, it took over that side of him. When he does loose control he is often violent and self rightous, craving death and chaos at every turn. This is the main reason why Levias dosent allow people to get close to him.
**********************************************************************************
The battle rage on for hours. It seemed for a few moments that they might actually drive back the vampires, but that view changed quickly when a supporting vampire army joined the fight. They flanked right behind Levias and his men, putting them rigth in the middle. His fathers armies were still pushing through, the vampires hadent touched the archers yet and so arrows continued to rain down in the night sky. More than once Levias had to jump out of the way or hide behind something while a volley of arrows ripped everything apart.
The Battle continued to rage on, and it dident take a genious to see that the vampires were winning. They had eventually managed to fight their way to the archers, and in minutes arrows stopped falling. This was a bad sign and Levias called out to his men, but no one anwsered. As far as he could see he was the only one left in a sea of vampires. Still he fought as hard as he could, as long as he could draw breath he would fight them.
Levias's strength however was begining to falter, he was fatigued and out numbered. It seemed no matter how many he killed two more took their place. He cursed out into the night before collapsing on the ground. He was breathing heavily, and could barely move. Strangly none of the vampires tried to kill him, he had expected them to decend on him like a colossal wave, but they kept distance. As he sat surrounded by the bodies of vampires, and men alike he couldent help but feel at peace. it was a strange comfort to know he was going to die.
After a few moments several voices could be heard, they were loud and authoritive "Clean up the rest of the stragglers, and leave this one to me" it spoke so sharply, and from what Levias could guess it had to be their leader. He tried to stand but found his legs would not work. He wasent afraid anymore, just tired, and soon this leader was going to come and give him rest. After several more failed attempts he finally managed to stand, though it wasnet straight, to greet this leader of theirs. He was shocked to see a man who looked very similar to himself.
"You have fought...well...and now you will be given a gift. The gift of life, that i myself am personaly going to give you" Levias scoffed at the mans arrogance. "You will get nothing from me you monster"he managed to hiss before spitting at the vampire. He tried to stand to look him straight but couldent do it. "I will fight you till there is nothing left of me"
The vampire only smiled before he grabbed Levias by the throat. "Then you will die like the others" he hissed. In a flash he had pulled Levias towards him and bit into his throat. Levias could feel his life slipping, and he felt relaxed and at piece. He lost consiousness for a moment, or atleast it seemed like it. He awoke in the rain, the bodies of thousands of men and vampires lay strewn over the battlefield. He climbed wearily to his feet. There was not a soul around, vampire or human, nothing remained. Levias Cringed in pain as he tried to remove Demontail. The brace came off easily but the weapon...It was fused to his arm, wrapping all the way up his arm and over his shoulder. He wripped at the weapon attempting to remove it, but only managed to cut his hands severly.
He cursed and yelled as he thrashed about t. His entire body burned, he felt like he had died. He was so stiff and sore, his muscles fatigued and bruised. What had happened why was he still alive where was everyone. A terrible thought raced through his mind. What if they had gotten to the city. He turned to look and sure enough in the distance a bright orange glow could be seen from where the city of Babylon once was. Smoke towered up from it and he knew it had benn sacked. With another groan he pulled a cloak over himself and ran in the direction of his home.
A Broken Soul
****************************************************************************************
History:
Born into the world, the son of a mighty warlord, and beutiful hieress, most would have thought Levias was well off. It was true his family had unimaginable wealth, but it was never spent on him. From a young age Levias was forced to work in his families fields harvesting crops, and raising livestock. He had Just enough to eat, and hardly any worldly possesions of his own. Most wouldent even recognise him as the son of royalty.
Levias had few friends, his only true friend Being a girl named Christine. She was as his mother called her, Filthy, and unmarriable, But none the less Levias found true friendship with her. She was A year older than him, and her family worked for Levias's, thats how they came to meet in the first place. It took very little time for them to become friends and they had become unseperable ever since.
When Levias was twelve, Christine had started to teach him to fight. It was something his own father had never taught him, but her father had taught her. He never understood why she knew, and he dident but never did dwell on that thought. He learned unarmed combat very quickly, and soon was wrestling, and fighting local bullies for money. When his father heard of this a new sence of pride was instilled in the boy, Perhaps he would be a good fighter after all. With that his father pulled him from the fields and enlisted him in the persian military.
Levias never saw much of Christine over the few years that followed, but he did manage to sneak out and visit her once a week or so. He had been banned from going to the fields to talk with commoners anymore, but still Levias defied his father. By the time he was fifteen Levias had already become a fearsome opponent with the sword, or without. He had no equal in combat, however he found incredible dificulty in shooting, the use of bows seemed lost to him.
On the eve of his sixteenth birthday Levias snuck from the military camp again. He had a new fondness for Christine, and that night, after sneaking to her, he asked for her hand in marriage. She accepted and For once in a long time Levias felt real happiness. Needless to say Christines father was thrilled at the thought of his daughter marrying into a rich and powerful family, maybe then she wouldent spend her entire life in the fields. Levias's family on the other hand was outraged, they hated the idea of a commoner coming into their family.
However Levias was determined to marry this woman regardless of what anyone said. So three years later on the night of his nineteenth birthday they were married, mush to the disaproval of his father. By this point Levias was a powerful warrior, and had earned quite the reputation. He even had a small plot of land on the outskirts of Babylon. After they were married Levias took a year off duty to help settle into his new life. A few months later it was found that Christine was with child, and once again Levias thought that he had never been happyer.
Seven months later A healthy baby boy was born and He was named Samara, or Sam as they called him. Levias unfortunatly had to return to service shortly after Sam was born as the persian empire had been pulled into a war with a nieghboring country. Despite his wifes worries Levias Promised he would return safely. And so with that done he left for war.
Luckily Levias wasent part of the invading force, he was placed on border defence, along with the finest the persian army had to offer. They fought long, several years in fact till The persains triumphed over their vicious nieghbors. However during the time he spent away Levias changed.
In the far corner of the persian empire where he was stationed there were several old catacombs. When ever he found free time he would scout ot the many caves and man made tunnels, to collect his thoughts.On one such trip he stumbled upon an old temple. It was garnished in gold and silver, and from the looks of things hadent been disturbed in thousands of years. Such a discovery would surly get Levias a recomendation, and so he explored it deeper.
There were so many treasure to be found, odd devices the likes of which he had neverseen , and writings and tablets from a civilization long lost to the sands of time. But in peticular Levias noticed a weapon. It was a grand whip like weapon the likes of which he had never seen. It sat on an alter of gold, and glowed with an unknown energy. If Levias could only have read the warnings written in that strange language he might never have even touched it, but something inside him yearned to have that weapon. Besides as soon as he reported the temple it would be looted and he would never sere the weapon again.
Levias took the weapon for himself. He kept it hidden while he was on duty, putting it on only in privacy. The weapon fit his arm perfectly, and in a matter of weeks it had replaced his sword as a primary weapon. People around him started to notice a change in his behavior. The once humble man was now arrogant and blood thirsty. Levias had started slaughtering his opponents with great ease and never thought about it. It seemed that this weapon brought out the worst in him.
As mentioned the war was won by the persian army and Levias was welcomed home to his family. Three years had passed since he left and his son had grown into a hansome young lad. Christine however senced a change in Levias. He seemed darker, and much harsher, though she couldent figure out why.
Over the coming months Levias changed even more, to the point that Christine feared for the life of her and Sam. She had assumed that the weapon he now carried had some sort of hold over him, some kind of evil coursed through it. She pleaded with him to destroy it or atleast get rid of it, but it wasent until Levias attacked a local beggar that he could really see what had become of him. He vowed never to use it again, but it was an addiction. Furthermore he had started to have visions of his own death, several horrific different fates that awaited him.
Unable to get rid of or stop using demontail, levias sought out the help of a local wise man. He pleaded for any way that he might be able to break the hold over him, and finaly the man told Levias about his new fate. "The weapon you carry will kill you sooner or later, it is written to be and so it shall happen. This demontail you now carry was forged by evil, a man possesed by the devils themselves, and is pure evil. It feeds on the souls of its victims and its master, until the day when it can take no more. Then you will die and it will change hands."
Levias was convinced to change his fate and locked demontail in a box. He was determined to never use it again, to save his life and the life of anyone who might ever try and use it. But it seemed fate had another hand for Levias to play. A rumour spread of an army of vampires, destined to destroy the city of babylon, an army was needed to fight them. Levias was drafted immediatly and on his fathers orders was forced to bring demontail with him. It seemed evil was needed to fight a much greater evil, and regretfuly Levias complied bringing the cursed weapon with him.
Levias was forced to say goodbye to his family, and ride off again. This time when his wife asked that he return the same man she married, and Levias promised, to return as himself or not at all. This would be the defining moment, gibving him the chance to prove that he was the master of his fate and nothing else could change him. He only prayed he could find the strength to leave the weapon on the field and never see it again.
***************************************************************************************************
Levias struggled to get back to the city, it was such a long ways away, but he had to, people needed him. With A groan he pushed on, Demontail burned his flesh in a way he had never known. The pain was unbearable, but it was also deeper than physical pain. It was like his soul was on fire aswell. "I'll make that basterd pay" he hissed as he reached up to feel the bite on his neck. "Shoulda killed me when you had the chance" The wound seemed to have closed up, almost like it had healed. all that remained were two small pinholes.
After several hours Levias was at the gates of Babylon. Fires could be seen burning the city to ruble, and countless screams could be heard. With a new burts of energy, that was fueled by hatred Levias ran into the burning city. People ran past him screaming, And Vampires were everywhere. Levias caught sight of a few trying to break into one of the armeries, inside soldiers could be heard barring the door. With a yell Levias leapt foreward and Wrapped demontail around the midsection of one of the vampires. In the blink of an eye he cut it in half. Blood sprayed out in all directions, and for a second Levias felt reinvigorated. With the same ease he dispatched six more vampires and sent two others running for help.
The door to the armery opened and several well armed soldiers came out. "Thank you we were...." he stopped speaking when he realised who it was. "Levias...You must get to the other end of the city, your family...they wanted to know where they were" That was all Levias heard as he turned and broke into a run. His cloak billowed out behind him, and demontail trailed elgantly. "if they touch my family i will kill them all" he hissed under his breath. All over the city guards were seen fighting vampires, and all around the city burned.
In what seemed like minutes Levias had made it to the city center. A large group of people were being coralled into cages by the vampires. Levias stopped, even though a voice screamed to hurry up and find the vampires leader. He couldent allow this to happen to his people. A yell could be heard nearby a sone of the vampires had seen him. Several more rushed in from all sides to attack him. In a flash Levias spun around sharply making his cloak billow out. In a fluent movement he un fastened it from around his neck and used it to tangle up one of the vampires. Another attempted to strike at him as he did that, with a featof agility he ducked out of the way, caught the vampires wrist and used demontail to pull the legs out from another vampire.
It took him a second to realise what he had just done, but he quickly forgot about it when he saw the vampire carried his families daggar. "Thats mine" he hissed as he released the creature and pulled the daggar from it. He spun it around sharply before stapping it into the creatures heart. He then leapt foreward onto the other vampire now entangled in demontail, and impaled him aswell. Finaly he turned to see the first vampire, still tangled in the cloak. He whipped demontail around its throat and with a loud yell pulled its head clean off. His darker side was in full control right now, and he was going to use it to get his revenge.
Levias ran over to the cage and smashed the locks with his hand. A feat he had neverdone before, and one he would do again. "RUN" he yelled at the people before starting off to his home again. He was determined to end this now, and save his people.
These streets were once His playground. The roof tops and corridors were portals to different demensions of his imagination. He could remeber running down these very streets pretending he was some sort of animal or warrior. But now all the color and happimess had bled away into this cold and dark reality. The places he had known as a child were now burning or reduced to rubble. As he thought about this his hatred grew.
That sinister voice Laughed in the back of his head, taunting him, and driving him foreward. He was suprised with how fast he was able to traverse the streets but he would marvel at his speed later, after his family was safe and his vengance extracted. He hoped over rubble and obstacles with ease, often leaping up and jumping off of something else. Always landing without losing momentum.
Finaly after several minutes he made it to his nieghbor hood. Levias was horrified to find it in worse a state than the rest of the city. Hardly any houses stood, the trees had been uprooted and bodies were strewn about. The thing that was most disturbing were the bodies, they still had blood, the vampires had merly killed them for fun. He Cursed under his breath as he rounded another corner. What he saw made his heart stop. There in the middle of the street stood his wife and son. Vampires were everywhere, tormenting them and throwing stones. Levias's anger reached a new level as he forced his way towards his family.
A sharp blow to the back of his legs forced Levias to fall to the ground. Within seconds dozens of vampires had decended on him pinning him to the ground. A foul laughter could be heard behind him as a familiar voice spoke. "Its about time...I thought you werent going to show up. When i drank your blood i saw things about you, like your family and your memories, however i did not expect you to fight back." he could hear someone walking past his head. A second later he was able to see the vampires leader. Another wave of hatred shot through him, and he was quite satisfied to see a large un healed wound that seemed to wrap around the vampires throat.
"You killed some of my best men, and you granted me this wound that wont heal...NO MATTER HOW MUCH BLOOD I DRINK IT WONT HEAL" he stopped speaking for a second to calm down. After a few moments of silence he started again. "It just wouldent be fair of me to let you get away without some sort of repiration, so now i will take that which you hold dearest...BRING ME THE WOMAN" With that said a taller vampire pushed Christine away from sam and towards the vampires leader. He smiled for a moment before ripping into The womans throat. Levias screamed out as he did so, but the only responce he got were the cheers and laughter of the other vampires.
Tears now flooded Levias's eyes blurring his vision. "I'LL KILL YOU...ALL OF YOU WILL DIE" He Yelled out still to the cheers and laughter. He watched helplessly as the vampire tossed aside Christines body and laughed. "Dispose of the child" he hissed with a look of satisfaction. The last thing Levias heard was the screams of his son. They burned into his mind before he lost consiousness.
The coming events afterwards, the days, weeks, months, and years to follow are a blur to Levias. He spent a few weeks in Babylon helping to restore order, and to clean up the few remaining vampires. These were hard times for him. He hadent figured out he had been turned to a vampire till he tried to go out during the day. And as For demontail, that caused him more problems. It was hard getting used to carrying it around everywhere. But the hardest part was being unable to find the bodies of his family and lay them to rest. He spent two full weeks searching for any trace and found nothing. He blames himself for their deaths. After some order had been restored Levias prepared to Levae the city. He couldent bare to be there anymore.
Levias stood on the rooftops of his home. Smoke still billowed from fires that still burned. Vampires still prowled the streets but they would be quickly destroyed. He looked over his home, everything he had loved was gone, and now this place was as cold and unwelcoming as any other. With a sigh he cursed to the heavens and vowed to avenge his family and himself, or die in the attempt.
One Last Look at his Home
'i hAve read the rules'.
[/size]Several noises could be heard behind him. In fact several hundred men were no more than a quarter mile away preparing for an onslaught. These were the finest warriors in the Persian army. Tonight they too would stand and fight for their lives and homes as well. Most knew they wouldn't return, but still they sharpened their blades, and showed no signs of fear or remorse. The foe they would battle tonight was a sinister army of vampires that had ravaged the lands and killed thousands. These men prepared to stop the vampiric horde once and for all.
The sound of approaching footsteps alerted the man to another's presence. He knew who the approaching person was, it was his father, a mighty and fierce warlord in the Persian army. However he made no acknowledgment of the other and continued to stare out over the soon to be battlefield. For some reason he was afraid tonight. Death had never frightened him before, but things were different now that he was married and had a son. He closed his eyes at the thought of the boy suppressing his fear.
"Levias" His father shouted. "Come and strap on that demonic thing so we can send these creatures back to hell" His voice was sharp and cold, Most wouldn't even know he was his father, simply for the lack of affection. Levias turned quickly on his heel and bowed "I am sorry father, i wanted to see them" He looked up at his father, and before he could respond Levias walked past him toward the camp.
Silhouette of a Dead Man
*****************************************************************************
Name: Levias Conrad
Age: 789, but appears to be only 23
Sex: Male
Species: Vampire
*****************************************************************************
The camp was teaming with activity, soldiers rushed about looking for their weapons or shields. While others drank and gambled. Overall the moral of these men were very high, even in the face of certain doom. Levias Made his way swiftly through th camp. Some men tried to talk to him while others merely got out of his way. The men looked up to Levias he was a symbol of power to them. His father however didn't share their views.
A small modest tent sat toward the edge of the camp. It was red in color and smaller than most of the others. This was the tent of Levias. Inside there was a treasure which no other man could wield. The weapon demontail. This is why the man had such respect for him. Levias was the only one who could wield such a demonic weapon. And that was also the one thing that irritated his father. To Master only one weapon, and one that is so unreliable at that was not a prized trait.
Levias quickly entered the humble dwelling. He sat down at the edge of a soft thick bed and placed his head in his hands. Tonight would be the last time he would use demontail. After this battle he would lock it up forever. A gentle sigh escaped him as he sat thinking about his future. "Never again" he whispered into the darkness. After a few moments he raised his head and looked over at a small chest near the other end of the tent. It was only 4 foot by 4 foot and it wasn't very nice looking. But inside was the demonic force that would aid them tonight.
After a few more moments Levias walked over to the chest. With another sigh he knelt down beside and slowly opened the lid. Inside were a few pieces of cloth covering a steel whip. Razors lined its entire length, and the tip was a razor sharp rose thorn point. This weapon was forged by a lunatic, possessed by the devil. Each blade was inscribed with demonic markings. Despite the fact that it was made out of steel, it remained light as a feather.
The weapon came easily out of its box as Levias pulled it out. It was almost as if it wanted the freedom and yearned for the blood it was to spill tonight. He wrapped the thicker back end around his arm, and locked it onto his wrist with a brace. No one could take it away from him without severing his arm now. Outside the tent Soldiers could be heard yelling. It seemed the vampires had arrived.
******************************************************************************
Weapons:
DemonTail
In the event of a fight, Levias relies on Two weapons. One A ten foot long whip like weapon known as DemonTail. Though the origin of this weapon are unknown, as well as how it came into the possession of Levias, it stands to reason that he has mastered its usage quite well. Demontail itself is a long steel chain with razor blades attached every few inches. The razor blades are about two inches long, and shaped like a rose thorn. The End of the Demon Tail, is a razor sharp rose thorn spike. Its about four inches long and can easily puncture the skin of a victim. The entire weapon is attached to Levias's Left arm and wrist.
This weapon is intended to break an opponents defenses by snaring their weapons while they try to block. With its extreme flexibility, it is able to wrap around both swords and other small weapons, as well as larger ones. In the event that it wraps around an appendage like an arm or a leg, it would easily slice the skin to ribbons. This weapon is also used well offensively to strike an opponent who might be out of reach of a conventional sword. With its rose thorn tip, it could easily pierce an opponent and then be used to drag them to the user. If used properly it would function much like a whip.
The Other is a dagger that has been passed through his family for generations. Its origins are unknown as well, but it has been in the Conrad family for nearly 400 years. The dagger itself is plain looking, aside from the fact that it has a hooped finger guard along the back side. The handle looks as though it could have been made out of intricately carved ivory, while the blade itself is a stunning silver.
This weapon is used effectively with demontail as a defensive and occasionally aggressive manor. Opponents can be pulled foreword with one and impaled with the other, or one can be used to block while the other to strike. Levias has learned to use both weapons incredibly well, and its hard to tell which is more dangerous.
Weapons In Use
*****************************************************************************
Levias stood up as a man clad in heavy armor entered his tent. "Sir, they are here, we can see them now" The soldier was out of breath and had a tone that suggested excitement. "We need you out there, your father requests your presence at the front line" The soldier looked at The weapon now bound to Levias's arm and a smile could be seen under his helmet.
Levias said nothing as the man spoke, but when he noticed him staring at demontail he almost felt angry. "Avert your eyes and return to the field, prepare for a bloodbath" he hissed as he pulled an old dagger from inside the chest. The dagger was his fathers at one point, but had been passed on to Levias on the day of his birth. The soldier quickly turned around and left the tent, Levias followed after him.
People were frantically running this way and that just trying to prepare last minute. Several men came by on horses, stopping in front of Levias. "Sir, your steed" one of the men said as he pulled a fine white horse foreword. "Ride it to the front line, where your father awaits" They spoke softly, with much less excitement than the soldier before had. They almost seemed to dread the coming battle. Levias mounted the horse and took took off toward the front lines.
****************************************************************************
Specialties:
Heightened Sense's:
When Levias was turned he found his once normal senses to be heightened. His sense of hearing became so powerful that he could track a heart beat several rooms away. His sense of smell was sensitive enough to pick up a drop of blood a block away. His sense of touch now enabled him to feel the slightest breeze, or even a change in temperature. And most importantly his sense of sight was heightened to the point were he could pinpoint movement and see in the dark. His sense of taste was also enhanced and has allowed him to enjoy all the wonders of human cuisine,
Faster Reflexes:
Levias has always had fast reflexes, even when he was human he was able to respond to something in micro seconds. However After He was turned his reflexes seemed to increase tenfold, most likely due to his increased senses. With increase reflexes came decreased response time. He was now able to Respond as something was happening and in rare instances A few micro seconds early. Some have stated that his reflexes border on precognition.
Increased Speed and Agility:
Speed and agility are natural traits that most Persian soldiers valued. If someone was faster than their opponent the fight as always in their favor. Levias was raised by this. His father had pushed this on him from a young age. After being turned it was only natural for his speed and agility to be increased.
Increased Strength:
Levias was never a very strong person, his focus had always been on speed, and killing quickly without getting into close combat. However he was pleased to discover that with him turning his natural strength seemed to triple, giving him an edge over human combatants. His strength does however lack when compared to vampires and Lycans.
Fast Recover Time:
One of the more pronounced traits, that is one he hadn't had before turning, was an unnatural healing, and recovery time. Wounds that would take weeks to recover only took days. When feeding those same wounds could be healed in minutes. Giving Levias an uncanny edge against human opponents once again.
Unique and Unmatchable Fighting style:
This was the one trait that didn't change after being turned. Levias had one of the more elegant fighting styles in the Persian army at that time. This was due to the weapons he carried. It took a unique style to wield such a unique weapon. As a bonus Levias was able to use any part of his body to fight, most of the time favoring unarmed combat as a pose to tearing opponents to shreds with demontail.
Weakness:
Increased Aggression:
This unfortunately was a problem even before Levias was turned to a vampire. The initial root of this problem lays within the weapon that is now fused to his soul. Even when he had the ability to take it off, wearing it would bring out his dark side. It gave him the ability to kill without remorse. Now that it is part of him, he often finds himself angry for no reason, and can lash out toward others. For the most part he is able to control it, but during times of great stress, or if he should be wounded to a certain point, he loses control and lashes out.
Occasional Inability to Control Actions:
This problem goes hand in hand with his aggression. The weapon known as demontail is believed to have a will of its own, and at times when Levias is not focused or is unable to react normally, he may act irregularly, and even violently. With practice and meditation he has gained more control over himself, but he has a long way to go before he can consider himself safe.
Sunlight:
This is one of the weaknesses he inherited when he was turned. Sunlight burns his skin, and in a matter of seconds would kill him. Levias has tried numerous times over the years to venture out in sunlight, even once attempting suicide by taking a walk in the early morning light.Never has he lasted more than a few seconds before he has to go back into hiding. He has now given up on ever seeing the sun again.
Hatred of Vampires:
Levias has always hated the creatures of the night. In life he was told about them in stories by his father. They were always described as blood thirsty monsters, out to kill anyone and anything they met. He had killed a few before being turned, simply out of hatred. But after they took his life, and the life of his family and friends, his grudge only strengthened. Now he spends his time hunting those responsible and any others he might come across.
******************************************************************************
Levias rode up to the front lines. Before he had even arrived he could see his father conversing with the generals. And off in the distance, he could see the hundreds of torches belonging to the vampires. A wave of fear rippled through his body as he only imagined how many of them their really was. He stopped the horse next to his father and dismounted, while another soldier came over to lead the horse away.
"Father...Are we really able to do this?" Fear could be heard in his voice as he spoke. This wasn't a common occurrence for Levias. Fear was not something he had ever known, but now he had a son and wife, and he desperately wanted to be there for them. Even as he stood there a shiver ran through his body, but if anyone asked or mentioned it he would say it was the cold.
The stern looking man that was his father turned to look at Levias. "You would show fear now, in front of all these men ready to die, in the face of our adversary" He stopped speaking, because he couldn't think of anything to else to say to his son. He looked him over bringing his eyes to rest on the demonic weapon. "Well at least you have that" he said with a frown before turning to speak with the generals again.
Levias couldn't look his father in the eyes as he spoke to him. It was hurtful to know his father didn't approve of him. He turned to walk away when his father voice came out sharp over the crowd. "Levias take A single battalion and have them flank the vampires." That was it. No good luck, no i hope it works out, not even a good bye. Levias fought back the anger inside himself, and continued on to the edge of the lines to pick his battalion.
******************************************************************************
Appearance:
Most would agree, there is not to much that stands out, when it comes to Levias's appearance. Most would say he looks plain. He has no major scars, and no tattoos or piercings. Levias prides himself on taking excellent care of himself, and sees no need to mark himself up. He isn't considered to be a big man, standing at 5'11" and weighing 170lbs. His skin tone would suggest, to anyone standing by him, that he hasn't seen much light in years. Truth being he hasn't seen the sun in almost more than 700 years. He is Mildly toned, suggesting he trains, but not to the extent that he is ripped, and chiseled.
Levias has Dark Blue eyes,and long black hair. This is another set of features that people would say is plain and normal. His hair is straight and shoulder length, and for some reason always has the look of just being wet. His eyes, are one of his least favorite attributes. He always believes they are misleading, and will get upset if he catches people trying to look into his eyes for too long.
Clothing that is soft and open, are Levias's choice. He likes silks, and other soft materials, and will only wear things that have good airflow. Shirts are often rarely buttoned, and in the event that they are, have a large open neck. He will wear a good sturdy pair of shoes, or in most cases a pair of good worn in sandals. In fact if people tried to guess by the way he dressed, they would probably assume he was either traveling, or poor.
Levias does have one unique trait that allows him to stand out. The weapon demontail that is fused to his arm. He is usually able to hide it in a cloak, or even wrap it around his waste like a belt, but people always seem to notice, and it can be more than a little upsetting when people stare at it.
*******************************************************************************
Levias ordereda small group of soldiers to follow him. They followed quickly and the group now lead by Levias started to travel around some nearby cliffs, to gain some ground on the vampires. It was amazing how quietly a group of heavily armed men could travel, the only sounds that could be heard were off in the disatance, War cries and battle cheers of the vampires. Levias looked back to count how many men had actually followed him. From the looks of it around fifty or so odd men.
They continued on for several more minutes till they could see a break in the cliffs, that was going to be where they came through to flank the vampires. With a smile Levias turned to face his men. They stood ready to go, all looking confident and proud. He raised his Left hand in the air to get their attention. They all looked at him, and as he opened his mouth to speak no words came out. There was nothing he could say to comfort or inspire them, when he himself was afraid.
After a few moments of silence he could hear war horns. The vampires had started their charge. In the distance they could be heard yelling, and running, thousands of them.He listened and heard the horns of his fathers men, and the sounds of them rushing into battle. For a moment all that could be heard was the sounds of charging armies, and then finaly he was able to see the vampires. They were running right by the cliff opening just as had been planned. Maybe things would go well after all, he thought as he watched the battle hardened creatures charge past them.
It took several minutes for them to stop running past, and the sounds of combat could already be heard. Swords clashed, and blood ran. Levias turned to his men again, and this time held up his right hand with the dagger, he pointed it at the opening and shouted "LETS GIVE EM HELL" With that said a roar of cheers could be heard from his men and they all rushed out of the opening. Several stopped as they exited and gawked with aww at the size of the vampires army. They were a huge mass pushing into the smaller human defenses. Levias Snapped demontail in the air to get the mens attention again. "LETS GO" he shouted as he ran past a few of them.
The only thing Levias could think of as he ran into battle was his family. He prayed that he might return to them, but after seeing the opposinf force he held no hope. He would however make his father proud. Levias reached the outside of the vampires forces and whipped demontail at the first thing he could. He caught the unlucky creature by the neck and in one move pulled it back and stabbed it in the heart. it crumpled to the ground as Levias's men clashed with the back end of the force. Several arrows were even seen being shot into the vampires by archers from his fathers side, this would prove to be a hazard now, so he made a mental note to keep an eye to the sky.
********************************************************************************
Personality:
People who have the opportunity to get to know Levias would say he is one of the most patient and caring people they have ever met. He feels there is no need to rush life, and no matter what the mistake its always a learning experience. Levias is one of the few people who cares greatly for the whole of mankind. He has watched over them, learned with them, and even protected them from those that might wish their down fall.
Levias is not someone who is overly friendly, only a select few have ever really gotten to know him. He believes attachements arent a good thing to have, they only lead to pain and suffering. He does however occaisionally enjoy talking to random people about whatever might be on his mind. He usually wont speak his mind except during those rare instances.
Most of the time Levias is quiet. He isent someone who is quick witted, or sparky, unless you happen to be someone who he likes, in which case you will see the side of him that he hides from everyone else. But a majority of the time he is focused on his task, revenge. He can be quite blunt and sharp, but that is more an act to keep people away.
Levias also has another side that manifests itself from time to time. It is his darker side, a cruel and harsh alternate personality that often forces Levias to hurt or kill all those around him. It is his own dark ambitions being forced to manifest through the demonic weapon he carries. When it fused to his soul, it took over that side of him. When he does loose control he is often violent and self rightous, craving death and chaos at every turn. This is the main reason why Levias dosent allow people to get close to him.
**********************************************************************************
The battle rage on for hours. It seemed for a few moments that they might actually drive back the vampires, but that view changed quickly when a supporting vampire army joined the fight. They flanked right behind Levias and his men, putting them rigth in the middle. His fathers armies were still pushing through, the vampires hadent touched the archers yet and so arrows continued to rain down in the night sky. More than once Levias had to jump out of the way or hide behind something while a volley of arrows ripped everything apart.
The Battle continued to rage on, and it dident take a genious to see that the vampires were winning. They had eventually managed to fight their way to the archers, and in minutes arrows stopped falling. This was a bad sign and Levias called out to his men, but no one anwsered. As far as he could see he was the only one left in a sea of vampires. Still he fought as hard as he could, as long as he could draw breath he would fight them.
Levias's strength however was begining to falter, he was fatigued and out numbered. It seemed no matter how many he killed two more took their place. He cursed out into the night before collapsing on the ground. He was breathing heavily, and could barely move. Strangly none of the vampires tried to kill him, he had expected them to decend on him like a colossal wave, but they kept distance. As he sat surrounded by the bodies of vampires, and men alike he couldent help but feel at peace. it was a strange comfort to know he was going to die.
After a few moments several voices could be heard, they were loud and authoritive "Clean up the rest of the stragglers, and leave this one to me" it spoke so sharply, and from what Levias could guess it had to be their leader. He tried to stand but found his legs would not work. He wasent afraid anymore, just tired, and soon this leader was going to come and give him rest. After several more failed attempts he finally managed to stand, though it wasnet straight, to greet this leader of theirs. He was shocked to see a man who looked very similar to himself.
"You have fought...well...and now you will be given a gift. The gift of life, that i myself am personaly going to give you" Levias scoffed at the mans arrogance. "You will get nothing from me you monster"he managed to hiss before spitting at the vampire. He tried to stand to look him straight but couldent do it. "I will fight you till there is nothing left of me"
The vampire only smiled before he grabbed Levias by the throat. "Then you will die like the others" he hissed. In a flash he had pulled Levias towards him and bit into his throat. Levias could feel his life slipping, and he felt relaxed and at piece. He lost consiousness for a moment, or atleast it seemed like it. He awoke in the rain, the bodies of thousands of men and vampires lay strewn over the battlefield. He climbed wearily to his feet. There was not a soul around, vampire or human, nothing remained. Levias Cringed in pain as he tried to remove Demontail. The brace came off easily but the weapon...It was fused to his arm, wrapping all the way up his arm and over his shoulder. He wripped at the weapon attempting to remove it, but only managed to cut his hands severly.
He cursed and yelled as he thrashed about t. His entire body burned, he felt like he had died. He was so stiff and sore, his muscles fatigued and bruised. What had happened why was he still alive where was everyone. A terrible thought raced through his mind. What if they had gotten to the city. He turned to look and sure enough in the distance a bright orange glow could be seen from where the city of Babylon once was. Smoke towered up from it and he knew it had benn sacked. With another groan he pulled a cloak over himself and ran in the direction of his home.
A Broken Soul
****************************************************************************************
History:
Born into the world, the son of a mighty warlord, and beutiful hieress, most would have thought Levias was well off. It was true his family had unimaginable wealth, but it was never spent on him. From a young age Levias was forced to work in his families fields harvesting crops, and raising livestock. He had Just enough to eat, and hardly any worldly possesions of his own. Most wouldent even recognise him as the son of royalty.
Levias had few friends, his only true friend Being a girl named Christine. She was as his mother called her, Filthy, and unmarriable, But none the less Levias found true friendship with her. She was A year older than him, and her family worked for Levias's, thats how they came to meet in the first place. It took very little time for them to become friends and they had become unseperable ever since.
When Levias was twelve, Christine had started to teach him to fight. It was something his own father had never taught him, but her father had taught her. He never understood why she knew, and he dident but never did dwell on that thought. He learned unarmed combat very quickly, and soon was wrestling, and fighting local bullies for money. When his father heard of this a new sence of pride was instilled in the boy, Perhaps he would be a good fighter after all. With that his father pulled him from the fields and enlisted him in the persian military.
Levias never saw much of Christine over the few years that followed, but he did manage to sneak out and visit her once a week or so. He had been banned from going to the fields to talk with commoners anymore, but still Levias defied his father. By the time he was fifteen Levias had already become a fearsome opponent with the sword, or without. He had no equal in combat, however he found incredible dificulty in shooting, the use of bows seemed lost to him.
On the eve of his sixteenth birthday Levias snuck from the military camp again. He had a new fondness for Christine, and that night, after sneaking to her, he asked for her hand in marriage. She accepted and For once in a long time Levias felt real happiness. Needless to say Christines father was thrilled at the thought of his daughter marrying into a rich and powerful family, maybe then she wouldent spend her entire life in the fields. Levias's family on the other hand was outraged, they hated the idea of a commoner coming into their family.
However Levias was determined to marry this woman regardless of what anyone said. So three years later on the night of his nineteenth birthday they were married, mush to the disaproval of his father. By this point Levias was a powerful warrior, and had earned quite the reputation. He even had a small plot of land on the outskirts of Babylon. After they were married Levias took a year off duty to help settle into his new life. A few months later it was found that Christine was with child, and once again Levias thought that he had never been happyer.
Seven months later A healthy baby boy was born and He was named Samara, or Sam as they called him. Levias unfortunatly had to return to service shortly after Sam was born as the persian empire had been pulled into a war with a nieghboring country. Despite his wifes worries Levias Promised he would return safely. And so with that done he left for war.
Luckily Levias wasent part of the invading force, he was placed on border defence, along with the finest the persian army had to offer. They fought long, several years in fact till The persains triumphed over their vicious nieghbors. However during the time he spent away Levias changed.
In the far corner of the persian empire where he was stationed there were several old catacombs. When ever he found free time he would scout ot the many caves and man made tunnels, to collect his thoughts.On one such trip he stumbled upon an old temple. It was garnished in gold and silver, and from the looks of things hadent been disturbed in thousands of years. Such a discovery would surly get Levias a recomendation, and so he explored it deeper.
There were so many treasure to be found, odd devices the likes of which he had neverseen , and writings and tablets from a civilization long lost to the sands of time. But in peticular Levias noticed a weapon. It was a grand whip like weapon the likes of which he had never seen. It sat on an alter of gold, and glowed with an unknown energy. If Levias could only have read the warnings written in that strange language he might never have even touched it, but something inside him yearned to have that weapon. Besides as soon as he reported the temple it would be looted and he would never sere the weapon again.
Levias took the weapon for himself. He kept it hidden while he was on duty, putting it on only in privacy. The weapon fit his arm perfectly, and in a matter of weeks it had replaced his sword as a primary weapon. People around him started to notice a change in his behavior. The once humble man was now arrogant and blood thirsty. Levias had started slaughtering his opponents with great ease and never thought about it. It seemed that this weapon brought out the worst in him.
As mentioned the war was won by the persian army and Levias was welcomed home to his family. Three years had passed since he left and his son had grown into a hansome young lad. Christine however senced a change in Levias. He seemed darker, and much harsher, though she couldent figure out why.
Over the coming months Levias changed even more, to the point that Christine feared for the life of her and Sam. She had assumed that the weapon he now carried had some sort of hold over him, some kind of evil coursed through it. She pleaded with him to destroy it or atleast get rid of it, but it wasent until Levias attacked a local beggar that he could really see what had become of him. He vowed never to use it again, but it was an addiction. Furthermore he had started to have visions of his own death, several horrific different fates that awaited him.
Unable to get rid of or stop using demontail, levias sought out the help of a local wise man. He pleaded for any way that he might be able to break the hold over him, and finaly the man told Levias about his new fate. "The weapon you carry will kill you sooner or later, it is written to be and so it shall happen. This demontail you now carry was forged by evil, a man possesed by the devils themselves, and is pure evil. It feeds on the souls of its victims and its master, until the day when it can take no more. Then you will die and it will change hands."
Levias was convinced to change his fate and locked demontail in a box. He was determined to never use it again, to save his life and the life of anyone who might ever try and use it. But it seemed fate had another hand for Levias to play. A rumour spread of an army of vampires, destined to destroy the city of babylon, an army was needed to fight them. Levias was drafted immediatly and on his fathers orders was forced to bring demontail with him. It seemed evil was needed to fight a much greater evil, and regretfuly Levias complied bringing the cursed weapon with him.
Levias was forced to say goodbye to his family, and ride off again. This time when his wife asked that he return the same man she married, and Levias promised, to return as himself or not at all. This would be the defining moment, gibving him the chance to prove that he was the master of his fate and nothing else could change him. He only prayed he could find the strength to leave the weapon on the field and never see it again.
***************************************************************************************************
Levias struggled to get back to the city, it was such a long ways away, but he had to, people needed him. With A groan he pushed on, Demontail burned his flesh in a way he had never known. The pain was unbearable, but it was also deeper than physical pain. It was like his soul was on fire aswell. "I'll make that basterd pay" he hissed as he reached up to feel the bite on his neck. "Shoulda killed me when you had the chance" The wound seemed to have closed up, almost like it had healed. all that remained were two small pinholes.
After several hours Levias was at the gates of Babylon. Fires could be seen burning the city to ruble, and countless screams could be heard. With a new burts of energy, that was fueled by hatred Levias ran into the burning city. People ran past him screaming, And Vampires were everywhere. Levias caught sight of a few trying to break into one of the armeries, inside soldiers could be heard barring the door. With a yell Levias leapt foreward and Wrapped demontail around the midsection of one of the vampires. In the blink of an eye he cut it in half. Blood sprayed out in all directions, and for a second Levias felt reinvigorated. With the same ease he dispatched six more vampires and sent two others running for help.
The door to the armery opened and several well armed soldiers came out. "Thank you we were...." he stopped speaking when he realised who it was. "Levias...You must get to the other end of the city, your family...they wanted to know where they were" That was all Levias heard as he turned and broke into a run. His cloak billowed out behind him, and demontail trailed elgantly. "if they touch my family i will kill them all" he hissed under his breath. All over the city guards were seen fighting vampires, and all around the city burned.
In what seemed like minutes Levias had made it to the city center. A large group of people were being coralled into cages by the vampires. Levias stopped, even though a voice screamed to hurry up and find the vampires leader. He couldent allow this to happen to his people. A yell could be heard nearby a sone of the vampires had seen him. Several more rushed in from all sides to attack him. In a flash Levias spun around sharply making his cloak billow out. In a fluent movement he un fastened it from around his neck and used it to tangle up one of the vampires. Another attempted to strike at him as he did that, with a featof agility he ducked out of the way, caught the vampires wrist and used demontail to pull the legs out from another vampire.
It took him a second to realise what he had just done, but he quickly forgot about it when he saw the vampire carried his families daggar. "Thats mine" he hissed as he released the creature and pulled the daggar from it. He spun it around sharply before stapping it into the creatures heart. He then leapt foreward onto the other vampire now entangled in demontail, and impaled him aswell. Finaly he turned to see the first vampire, still tangled in the cloak. He whipped demontail around its throat and with a loud yell pulled its head clean off. His darker side was in full control right now, and he was going to use it to get his revenge.
Levias ran over to the cage and smashed the locks with his hand. A feat he had neverdone before, and one he would do again. "RUN" he yelled at the people before starting off to his home again. He was determined to end this now, and save his people.
These streets were once His playground. The roof tops and corridors were portals to different demensions of his imagination. He could remeber running down these very streets pretending he was some sort of animal or warrior. But now all the color and happimess had bled away into this cold and dark reality. The places he had known as a child were now burning or reduced to rubble. As he thought about this his hatred grew.
That sinister voice Laughed in the back of his head, taunting him, and driving him foreward. He was suprised with how fast he was able to traverse the streets but he would marvel at his speed later, after his family was safe and his vengance extracted. He hoped over rubble and obstacles with ease, often leaping up and jumping off of something else. Always landing without losing momentum.
Finaly after several minutes he made it to his nieghbor hood. Levias was horrified to find it in worse a state than the rest of the city. Hardly any houses stood, the trees had been uprooted and bodies were strewn about. The thing that was most disturbing were the bodies, they still had blood, the vampires had merly killed them for fun. He Cursed under his breath as he rounded another corner. What he saw made his heart stop. There in the middle of the street stood his wife and son. Vampires were everywhere, tormenting them and throwing stones. Levias's anger reached a new level as he forced his way towards his family.
A sharp blow to the back of his legs forced Levias to fall to the ground. Within seconds dozens of vampires had decended on him pinning him to the ground. A foul laughter could be heard behind him as a familiar voice spoke. "Its about time...I thought you werent going to show up. When i drank your blood i saw things about you, like your family and your memories, however i did not expect you to fight back." he could hear someone walking past his head. A second later he was able to see the vampires leader. Another wave of hatred shot through him, and he was quite satisfied to see a large un healed wound that seemed to wrap around the vampires throat.
"You killed some of my best men, and you granted me this wound that wont heal...NO MATTER HOW MUCH BLOOD I DRINK IT WONT HEAL" he stopped speaking for a second to calm down. After a few moments of silence he started again. "It just wouldent be fair of me to let you get away without some sort of repiration, so now i will take that which you hold dearest...BRING ME THE WOMAN" With that said a taller vampire pushed Christine away from sam and towards the vampires leader. He smiled for a moment before ripping into The womans throat. Levias screamed out as he did so, but the only responce he got were the cheers and laughter of the other vampires.
Tears now flooded Levias's eyes blurring his vision. "I'LL KILL YOU...ALL OF YOU WILL DIE" He Yelled out still to the cheers and laughter. He watched helplessly as the vampire tossed aside Christines body and laughed. "Dispose of the child" he hissed with a look of satisfaction. The last thing Levias heard was the screams of his son. They burned into his mind before he lost consiousness.
The coming events afterwards, the days, weeks, months, and years to follow are a blur to Levias. He spent a few weeks in Babylon helping to restore order, and to clean up the few remaining vampires. These were hard times for him. He hadent figured out he had been turned to a vampire till he tried to go out during the day. And as For demontail, that caused him more problems. It was hard getting used to carrying it around everywhere. But the hardest part was being unable to find the bodies of his family and lay them to rest. He spent two full weeks searching for any trace and found nothing. He blames himself for their deaths. After some order had been restored Levias prepared to Levae the city. He couldent bare to be there anymore.
Levias stood on the rooftops of his home. Smoke still billowed from fires that still burned. Vampires still prowled the streets but they would be quickly destroyed. He looked over his home, everything he had loved was gone, and now this place was as cold and unwelcoming as any other. With a sigh he cursed to the heavens and vowed to avenge his family and himself, or die in the attempt.
One Last Look at his Home
'i hAve read the rules'.
