"Probably not. Some who, if they know you, will believe you are not a threat. For a while, I visited those who I knew I could trust. Then they grew old and died—another fact that you must accept. You will live ... forever."
"Forever,” Josip said admiringly.
"Yes, forever. But it is safest to let your family believe that you were killed, allow them to grieve your death, than to imagine you as a creature of the night. Society has condemned our lives to the dark side. People will always fear and associate us with terrible happenings. Perhaps, someday, they will see us as just creatures who roam this Earth, but that day is still a long way off."
"How have you managed to live ... like this?” Dimitri asked, still unsure of all that he was hearing.
"It's a story that began a long time ago. I fell in battle during the uprising of 1804. As I said earlier, I was dying just like you, lying on the battlefield near death, my blood flowing freely from a bayonet wound in my chest. A creature came to me and promised me life and I grabbed at it. I didn't care about the consequences."
"You are more than one hundred years old!” Josip cried.
Dimitri's mind raced with possibilities of his new life, unsure of what to believe or how he could live this way.
"I am one hundred and thirty years old. I was thirty when I fell in battle. I have lived here most of the time. As you have seen, there are volumes and volumes of books here that contain various subjects to hold my interest. Even after all these years, I have barely touched half of them. I travel to other areas when I grow restless. That is how I found this place,” he said, indicating their surroundings.
"And you drink the blood of humans?” Dimitri asked.
"Some. But mostly I live off of cattle and wild animals. When I must take a human, I only take those who are near death or who will not be missed, the drunks or the vagabonds. You must remember that your life depends on the secrecy of your existence. To draw attention to yourself is to flirt with death. Whether you continue to live or die, the blood that you choose will dictate your future. But I don't want to confuse you with too much information all at once. That is the one benefit that you will have that I did not."
"What benefit?” Dimitri asked.
"The creature that made me left that same night. I had to learn what I was through trial and error,” he said. “I was horrified and sought shelter from those that I knew, and some of them were not very congenial. But we can talk more about this later; it is time to feed before the sunrise so that you can regain your strength."
Startled, Dimitri looked at Alexander wondering how he knew what time of day it could possibly be; he did not possess a timepiece.
"You learn how to feel the time of day,” Alexander said, surprising Dimitri. “You also learn to sense many things, such as the thoughts of those close to you."
Dimitri nodded, but he didn't really understand. It was all too much to try and comprehend so quickly.
"I have some cattle outside in a pen. For some reason, animals adapt quickly to us. I have an understanding with them,” Alexander said.
Dimitri and Josip looked at each other in confusion.
"It's a bit of humor,” Alexander said smiling “Did you think you lost your sense of humor as well?"
Dimitri managed a weak smile as Josip laughed out loud.
"I keep them well-fed and they are used to me feeding off of them. But as with humans, you must be careful to not take too much or you will kill them and possibly injure yourself. That is a the most important rule you must remember: do not take the blood from an animal or human that is dead, or so close to death that you may—how can I explain it—be drawn into them and their death. Do you understand?"
Dimitri and Josip numbly nodded again, as Alexander rose from his chair.
"What of the rest?” Dimitri asked. “Franjo, Andre, and Iliga?"
"We will come back and get them in a little while,” Alexander said. “But you should know, they were much closer to death than you or Josip."
"What does that mean?” Dimitri asked.
"The process of this change seems to react differently depending on how close the person is to actual death. It varies, but sometimes it appears to affect the outgoingness or the shyness of an individual, perhaps even the personality. It all depends how they were in life. If someone was shy or outgoing, the process may have amplified those attributes. We will have to watch them and see what happens."
"And if there is something ... not right with them?” Dimitri asked.
"Then we may have to destroy them."
* * * *
As they walked up the slope from the underground cavern, Dimitri asked: “Have you—made others before?"
For the first time, Alexander seemed unclear how he should answer. After a few seconds he said: “There was this one time ... but since then I have avoided doing so."
"Why?” Dimitri asked.
"There were ... complications. Besides, it's also a philosophical issue I have not come to terms with. It's hard to explain."
"But us—you changed us?"
"It seemed the right thing in this case. Your deaths were from an evil and cruel man. If not for him, you might have lived."
"So how do you know these things about the process?"
"There are others I have met in my travels. Our kind are drawn together for short periods of friendship. But our survival depends on being alone or in small groups. It is easier to stay hidden. Come now, we must go."
As Dimitri followed Alexander outside into the dark and cool night air, his feelings for his friends troubled him. He had been responsible for their safety and thereby their lives. But did he have the right to make the decision for them to live a life such as Alexander had described? For a moment, he wondered if death would not have been better and simpler for him and his friends.
The darkness and the coolness of the air felt exhilarating after spending so much time underground and helped to clear his minds of some of the thoughts that troubled him.
As he stood in the open air, he felt his senses come alive with the sounds of the night; he saw everything differently and he thought he was more in tune with everything around him.
Alexander saw their reactions and acknowledged their realizations.
"You will be more aware of your surroundings in all respects. It will take a while to get adjusted to it, but you will in time."
They followed Alexander for about seventy-five feet until they reached the cattle pen.
"Here are the cattle. I know it will be hard for you the first time, as it was for me. Just give in to it and let it your hunger lead you. I shall go first so you can observe."
Alexander moved to the first cow and rubbed its neck with his hands as if stroking the animal into a sense of calmness. As the cow relaxed, he moved his face to its neck and gently sunk his teeth to it. The cow did not stir or react in a threatened manner; instead, it calmly stood and allowed him to do as he pleased.
Dimitri became aware of the scent of the blood. Its smell was driving him into a frenzy that insisted his body partake in what only moments ago he had considered an act of revulsion and one that could not possibly be for him. He moved without any sense of willing his body into motion.
He motioned for Josip to follow. In an unspoken acknowledgement, they singled out a cow and began the same process as Alexander. Dimitri relaxed the animal and allowed himself to be drawn to the tender flesh. Two of his teeth elongated in response to his craving the blood. Slowly he bit the animal and began to draw its blood. His mind and body bathed in the euphoria of warmth as the blood flowed into and through his body. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Josip performing the same actions as him.
Any thoughts Dimitri had about death and choosing the correct path vanished as he languished in the warmth of the blood. He felt a heightening of his senses, as if his mind was opening to things he had only imagined before, but now seemed to be close to reality. He felt the large heart of the beast beating as it surged the blood into
his mouth. Each pulse increased his awareness and allowed him to explore the uncharted areas of his mind. Death would be such a waste, he thought. The beating grew louder in his mind....
"Enough!” Alexander screamed.
Both Dimitri and Josip released their hold on the animal.
Dimitri was shocked as Alexander's voice reverberated through his mind with a strength that shook him. He saw Josip also cringing and assumed he had experienced the same. At first Dimitri felt fear at the power Alexander displayed with his command. Would he be their master and they his dominions? Would this be the price that they had paid by the creation of what they now were?
"No. Do not fear,” Alexander said.
"You know our thoughts?” Josip asked.
"No. I sense your fear. I will not be your master, but your teacher. You must learn that the key to your lives is moderation in everything you do. You do not want to draw attention to yourselves. You must learn this if you are to survive."
Alexander turned to face only Dimitri. “You have made the decision for your band of men. Now I want you to go and get your comrades and instruct them as I have you. Make sure they understand, for if they fail, you fail, and it will cost you your lives."
Chapter Thirty-six
"Alexander was an intelligent man.” Reese said.
"And a caring man as well,” Dimitri added. “He was like a father to me ... and all of us. He taught us how to live and survive."
"What happened to Alexander?” Reese asked.
"Like everything that is good—he was snatched away from us by the brutal savagery of mankind.” Dimitri turned his head from Reese to hide his momentary anger. He did not want Reese to see this as a potential threat against them. He wanted to keep things on a level that was as humanly compassionate as possible—to keep Reese at ease with them and perhaps ... to even trust them.
"Can you tell me?” Reese asked.
"Of course,” Dimitri said and dipped into the eternal well of memories that both thrilled and frightened him.
1941
The six men returned to the monastery in urgency as the artillery shelling of the area continued and the oncoming troops came closer. They had known of the approaching armies and had been making final preparations to hide the opening to their underground home.
"It won't be much longer until they are on us,” Dimitri said to Alexander. “They mean to take over all of this area. Before it was just the Germans; now it is the Germans and the Italians."
"All things pass in time,” Alexander said calmly. “The people come and go, but in the end, the Serbs will have it back. History has taught us this much so far. You will have to get use to that fact."
"It is still the patriotism in me, in all of us,” Dimitri said, as he indicated the others.
"There is a time to fight the evil in the world and there is a time to just let it be,” Alexander said. “On the grand scheme of war, it would mean nothing, just more dying on the human behalf to appease the evil gods of war. But in a smaller scale, it would most likely tip the balance in the favor of humanity if the evil could be removed."
"And of our humanity? Where do we fit?” Dimitri asked.
A shell exploded closer than any previous ones.
"This is not the time or place for me to lecture you on where our kind fits into the world. The enemy shells are getting closer, a sure sign of approaching troops."
"Yes,” Dimitri agreed. “We should head to our home."
"You have learned much over these past years,” Alexander began as he placed his hand on Dimitri's shoulder. “With slyness and cunning, you and your group will live for a very long time and you will see the coming of our country."
"You speak as if you will not be there to see it with us,” Dimitri said, the sincerity in his voice evidence of his concern. His feelings for Alexander were as great as the feelings he had many years ago for his own paternal father.
"One never knows for sure, but I have my suspicions. War and killing always make me feel unsettled."
"I detect a hidden meaning to your thoughts,” Dimitri probed.
"You know me too well,” Alexander said, “as well as a son knows his father. War is always the same. The politicians hide it within the words of diplomacy, but it never changes its face. It is an ugly thing in more ways than one. I worry about you and your group. If you are not careful, you will use it as an excuse to feed on the humans. It is addictive, like a narcotic, and shall instill the desire to always feed on humans. You will think of them as nothing more than a food source, rather than what you once were—and that would be your downfall."
"You have told us all about the temptation many times. Why are you so worried about it now?"
"Because I have seen those that have fallen to it. They became reckless and careless, thinking they were indestructible. Human blood makes you more powerful, yes; that is true, but it also inflates your ego, makes you feel superior. When you think you are untouchable, you become sloppy and the locals learn of you."
"And the locals, they can harm us?"
"We live in a precarious balance. They tolerate us as long as we don't cross over certain lines of decency. We both know that we can be dangerous to the other. So we keep the peace in our own way. If we don't, they have their ancient books that tell them of the old myths and legends of our kind. They go to their books from their ancestors and find information about what can be used against us."
"You have seen these books?” Dimitri asked.
"No, but I know that there are such things. We are not able to look upon the words on the paper without causing pain to our eyes. They are written in the light of day and cannot be looked upon by eyes that can only see in the darkness of night."
"Philosophical?"
"No, just one of the realities imposed upon us. There are certain things that I cannot explain, they just are. Why do you always search for more than what is there?"
"It's in my nature,” Dimitri answered, with a sly grin. “I am naturally curious about everything."
"It is good to question our roles in this world. But for now, just accept it as fact. Philosophical issues are best left for debate, not to be tested."
"I understand,” Dimitri said. “These books, are there not any in our library?"
"No. But believe me, they exist. You have been out in the fields and smelled the foulness in the air. They spread their elixir sometimes after we steal a cow. Do not believe that they don't know we are here because we do not sense them. That would be a fool's mistake. As I alluded to already, we have an unspoken agreement with the villagers."
"What should we do? How should this peace be maintained?"
"Instead of stealing, we shall go to town at night and buy the cattle when we need it. I am sure our money will be welcomed, and a little extra over the agreed purchase price will remove any inhibitions of doing business at night. That would solve..."
Suddenly their senses came alive and alert; danger lurked nearby, something was about to happen. They all raised their heads as if smelling the scent on the breeze, sensing the direction of the danger.
Dimitri felt a sense of helplessness and dread overwhelm him—he knew that death would visit them tonight.
"We must go—now!” Alexander exclaimed, although he knew it was too late to reach the underground shelter. He cursed himself for dawdling out here discussing philosophy instead of paying more attention to what was around them. Suddenly the Germans sprang from the woods, their guns firing wildly as intermediate shelling burst around them.
"The fools!” Dimitri exclaimed. “They attack while their own bombs rain death upon them."
"Never mind that now!” Alexander screamed. “They have found us and our sanctuary, they must be driven off!"
The bullets fell harmlessly around them and into them, causing no damage to their bodies. The Germans, still lost in the confusion of the uncoordinated attack in the dark, did not realize their enemies were impervious to their bullets.
"Immobilize
them,” Alexander ordered. “Do not kill unless you have to!"
Dimitri and his group did as they were told. The orders of Alexander still had an hypnotic affect of obedience upon them. They made quick work of the men, using their strength and agility to subdue the attackers. Several lay upon the ground unconscious as others who had witnessed the creatures resistance to bullets, began a flailing retreat.
At first Dimitri thought it was over, the enemy defeated for the moment. However, an intense feeling of impending danger struck him hard. He turned toward Alexander just as one of the remaining Germans fired an explosive round at him.
Time came to a near standstill as Dimitri saw the round travel toward Alexander, but he could do nothing. Even his speed could not best the velocity of the weapon. To attempt would cost them both their lives. Alexander looked toward Dimitri and acknowledged his concern with his usual expression of warmth.
Stay where you are. You are ready to live your life on your own terms now. Remember—to live is everything...
The projectile exploded at point blank range. Alexander's body was blown apart into hundreds of pieces that scattered over a large area.
"No!” Dimitri cried.
Unfrozen from the torture of time, Dimitri awoke with a rage that overcame all reasoning.
He immediately turned his attention to the German who had fired the weapon that had killed Alexander. The soldier was reloading his weapon. Dimitri flew across the distance that separated them. He snatched the weapon from the soldier's hands and ripped it apart. Taking his hands, he grasped the German by the neck and lifted him off the ground. Rage consumed him as his fangs extended to their maximum capacity. He wanted this man to know that he was going to die a miserable death.
"Nein! Nein!” yelled the German, apparently seeing the creature that held him in its true nature. Dimitri smiled at the man's realization of his death.
"Bitte ... gnade,” the soldier pleaded.
"Please ... mercy! You dare to beg for your life!” Dimitri shouted, his voice harsh and animal like.
Holding him by the neck with one hand, he tore the man's right arm off and held it in front of him, the fingers still twitching with life.
Operation: Immortal Servitude From Declassified Files of Team of Darkness Page 19
