Reborn Tigrean
MaruunAn odd silence dropped over the living room. Three pairs of eyes immediately laid on Marius, who the question was directed at. Slowly he ran the fingers through his black hair. His eyes stared into nothingness for a second before he nodded slowly.
"My body was not my property for a long time. Vampires like me were called Narusz and had been turned in order to serve, or more likely to obey. They...we had no rights, not the right to live, nor the right to decide what would happen with us. Some had been lucky and served merciful Masters. Others - like me – not so much. I had served my own brother, David. He was not only merciless, he was sadistic."
Levi swallowed thickly when his father started to talk about these times. He saw that his question had awakened old memories and he regretted that it had slipped from his lips, but it was not something he could undo. Kenji, Marius' right hand, wanted to stand up and come over to Marius, but a quick glance from Sasa made Kenji remain still. Sasa knew it was important for Marius to speak about it. To name what happened.
"There were only two ways to escape this slavery. One was suicide, the other one the Challenge. Many Narusz called for the Challenge, but none had ever succeeded. The punishment in case of failure was the execution."
Marius smiled slightly. It was a sad smile, one with a hint of bitterness in it. However, it was no longer this fierce rage his eyes had carried for such a long time.
"I was no exception; I also failed and was brought to Lord Vejlon, who had occupied these buildings we call today our home. I remember clearly these moments as if it was just yesterday..."
Marius sighed. Sasa placed his hand on Marius' arm to reassure him that he wasn't alone. His family was right here to support him. Marius blinked, as if he had just woken up from a dream and turned towards Sasa. He lifted the dark skinned vampire’s face by his chin with a gentle touch of his fingers and breathed a kiss upon his lips, as if he was in dire need of something tender while these harsh memories flooded his mind. Then he stood up and walked around the sofa, staring at a certain spot on the wooden floor.
"It was right here, but it looked completely different back then. They put me on a chair, tied my arms and legs. I remember Vejlon's blue eyes staring down at me. I'll never forget them. Until today I wonder what he had thought in that very moment."
Marius gave out a rough, low laugh. "I've begged for my life. When you face your death it is not a matter of pride any longer. I begged for my life, something I've never done before. As much as David had tortured me in the past, I knew that he would never kill me and ruin his favorite plaything. I could count on it: No matter how much he hurt me, I would not die. But this moment was different. I would've done anything just to survive.
I knew I should not, but I couldn't help - I watched. I watched how I was... executed..."
Marius' voice had gotten very quiet during the last sentence and Levi stood up and came over to him. He brushed the back of his father's hand with his fingertips, but he didn't take his hand. Marius cleared his throat and shook his head.
"Silver solution. A lethal dose.
You know what I'm talking about, Levi. Within seconds it spreads through your veins, causes seizures and paralyzes you. I didn't want to die, not just like that, but everything pointed out that I would live only a few hours."
Levi swallowed hard. He really knew what Marius was talking about. Not long after Levi had been turned it had happened that he'd been poisoned by silver as well, bad enough to die from it. However, even if his poisoning was bad enough to be maybe lethal, it was nothing compared to the silver shock Marius just described. Levi's voice was low when he asked, "How you could survive?"
Marius shrugged this question off and sighed. "I honestly have no idea. Kenji found me and Wolf brought me to the Elrin. They nursed me back to health with whatever magic or spell they have cast on me..."
Levi looked at Marius for quite a while without saying a word. Then he grabbed Marius' hand and squeezed it gently. Marius nodded. He smiled, for the very first time towards his son, and squeezed back.
~*~*~*~*~
Three hours later Marius was alone with Sasa. Despite this heavy topic they had a quite delightful and amusing night together. Kenji and Levi brought a movie to watch together, an old, hilarious vampire movie. They'd been dying of laughter from those vampires that were hissing at crosses and flinching from garlic. It was an unexpectedly pleasant feeling for Marius to spend time with his son.
Once his son had left Marius pulled Sasa upon his lap and wrapped his arms around his waist. He adored the hard, but lithe body; the strength paired with tenderness. Sasa smiled and ran his fingers over the shaved side of Marius' head. "You look happy."
Marius nodded and pulled Sasa gently against his chest to bury his nose in Sasas shiny black hair. He loved how the other vampire smelled. The scent had something fresh, yet sweet that made him long for more and more. "I am, Darling. I am happy today."
Sasa slipped his hands underneath Marius' shirt and traced the muscles and scars with his fingertips. "There was more than you told Levi, wasn't it? Why didn't you tell them? It's nothing to feel ashamed of..."
Marius knew what Sasa was talking about. He had not told his son the whole story. He just stopped before it became really gruesome and bloody. He had not told them that David picked him up after he had been brought out of the building. He had been left to die next to the road, thrown away like a broken toy. He had not told him that David raged across his body with a cruelty beyond words, furious that his favorite torture doll had been taken away from him. Marius did not tell Levi that David had attacked his almost unconscious, dying body, with a knife, with rocks, and even acid. Nor had Marius told how disfigured and mutilated he had been; that even his skull and his spine had been cracked and crushed. Even with the advanced healing abilities the vampires possessed it had taken five years to heal all wounds and eight more years to move again without a supporting brace. That he had needed to relearn speaking, walking, writing and fighting.
Thoughtful, Marius stroked along Sasa’s cheek and his gaze stuck once more at Luka's beautiful eyes. Why he had not told his son the whole story? He toyed with a strand of Sasa’s hair and stared at him as if he would find the answer written on his face if he just stared hard enough. Finally, he smiled. Marius slid his hand along his lover’s arm and put his hand upon Sasa’s hand, which was still resting upon one of the bigger scars on his stomach.
"Because it doesn't matter, hon." Marius lifted Sasa’s hand and kissed his knuckles making the other vampire blush. "It doesn't matter anymore. I thought it would, for a long time I thought it would, but it's not true. Once it changed me. It filled me with hate and bitterness, with the wish for revenge."
He turned Sasa’s hand and kissed his palm. "Then I had my revenge and I realized that it did not take away my bitterness, nor my hate. I'd defined myself by my past, by what others had made out of me. But... it's not true."
Sasa chewed on his lower lip and cocked his head slightly. There was still an adorable blush painted upon his naturally dark skin when he asked, "Then what does matter, dear?"
Marius lifted his hands to take Sasa's face between them. "What we have today, that matters. What we decide for. What way we choose. So long I have seen myself as somebody unlovable, because my eyes were blind and my ears were deaf. I had no sense for love and beauty. Then I met you. A stubborn, persistent adorable little Beast, who would not give up getting closer to me. To show me that there is more than pain and blood in my life. That I am not unlovable. That even I can be happy again."
With the tenderness of a butterfly he kissed Sasa’s lips and with a smile he rested his forehead against his lover's forehead. "I have a strong, amazing son I am really proud of since I dared to open up towards them. I have a brother who stands at my side strong and loyal. I have a family. I have friends that stand at my side no matter how cruel and dark life may be. And I have you, my sweet little snugglebun. My love. What more could I ask for? I am happy, no matter what all he did to me. David took away my freedom, my health, my rights, my sanity. But after all I am still here, happy, with the love of my life right here in my arms
...and that is my true revenge on him."
