Praenuntius/Desticus to Praenuntius: Self Observation
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
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Contents |
Beginning
---What has happened to me? I awoke this morning to physicians covering me with a blanket and talking about finding a priest for my last rites. I was shocked and confused until after they left. I checked my normal signs of life, and all were null. My heartbeat has stopped, my skin has paled and dried, and... I've changed.
---Though I'm not sure the physicians noticed, those of my teeth just passed the front, have sharpened and lengthened. They've turned into... fangs. I've done all I can to hide them from those around me. It's been easy to hide with the hooded cloak I found in the alleyway of the physicians' building.
---I've noticed no feeling of hunger, but something new... a constant feeling of thirst. As when I would see a beautiful woman in the past, and she looked at me with intention, head would suddenly feel pressure, my heart would beat faster and my blood would race. I get the same feeling when I am around any living thing. The strange part of it is that I've gained a new sense. I can feel their heartbeat. It's a thrill, just as watching a beautiful woman dance. I can't stand it, I want to race for it. It is driving me mad and I can't help but wonder... what would it taste like? Such a beautiful thing as blood. It is the very source of life itself. It must taste as the greatest thing left on Earth!
---It's not difficult. I will find a house of women. There's always a drunk in the alleyway, and I can... wait, what am I thinking?! Years ago I swore to defend the helpless, fight for those who couldn't fight for themselves, and never harm a soul with the intention of harm in mind. And now I'm thinking of... what? I won't allow it. I won't give in. I'll just...
First Taste
---It was not... I couldn't help it... I will never forgive myself. My whole life I resisted the greatest temptations, no matter how strong, and now I've managed to kill an innocent person whose only mistake was to get so drunk he needed to take time in the alleyway. What have I turned into? What is happening to me? This makes no sense! But... the blood tasted good. No, better than good. I've never in my life had a meal that made me feel so much better. The thirst is... gone.
---It must be temporary. It felt like thirst ever did. Though I could completely quench it once, it would eventually come back, and I don't doubt this will be the same. It was too strong for me to control. It practically took over my whole system. If it is so unavoidable, how can I prevent myself from doing these evil things? There is only one way... to end my life. I must find a blade. I'm sure it won't be difficult. After all, this is Rome. Home of the greatest armies the world has seen. How could it be difficult to find a weapon?
---The guard outside of the house the drunk had exited doesn't seem to be very keen. This should be easy enough. Now, if I can just find a distraction to make things... ah, there it is. Drunks have served me well tonight. Though, the guilt still strains at my soul for the one in the alley.
---You would think a guard would pay more attention to his weapon, being that it is his only defense, carrying no shield. I wonder how long it will take him to notice it is missing. No matter, back to the task at hand. If I have no heartbeat, I doubt very much that stabbing myself in the heart will do very much, but if I require blood just to survive, perhaps I can drain myself of it to the death... this will hurt.
Awakening Surprise
---Where... am I? The alleyway again. It must not have worked. In fact, the slit on my neck is completely gone! This is madness! I'm quite sure I... yes, I still have the blade, and there's blood on it. I even remember the feeling of passing out as I lost blood! This is outrageous! Is there NOTHING I can do?! God, why would you curse me so? Did I not always serve you until this dreaded incident? Why would you damn me in this way?!
---If I must find a way to live with this, perhaps I will have a shorter lifespan because of it. My instinct alone will not let me starve, and my spirit alone cannot control my instinct. I must do as God does, and find a balance.
---If I must feed on living things, I must find living things it is not a sin to harm. And there is only one being of that sort. The church itself deems open sinners as unworthy. Perhaps if I use this curse to rid the world of them, I will be doing as I swore to do, and I can avoid ever doing what I did to that innocent, again. I will carry no guilt for the loss of the villainous. What good do they do in this world?
---If now I have my food, now I have my motive, perhaps now I should train myself to overpower them easily enough to be close enough to feed. After-all, not all villains of the streets tend to drink so much they can barely stand. I must become a hunter. I must become more dangerous than ever before... sinners will learn to fear my name. Desticus DeMorne will never be forgotten!
Training Begins
---A sword will do me no good. It will waste the blood I'm trying to obtain. A mace will do me just as little good, as splitting bones tend to open wounds themselves. Perhaps it is best that I learn to avoid blades with movement, and learn to subdue my enemies with my hands. It is not impossible.
---My training as a Paladin and a Praesidium should be a good start. Perhaps it is best to continue learning with practice. I'm not thirsty yet, but I can start disabling some of the petty thieves in the area.
---This one has a blade, it will be good to practice defense. If somehow I get killed in the process, perhaps he will have done me a favor. This is a good situation either way. Time to practice.
---Well, I am nowhere near fast enough to avoid attacks continuously. I still feel relatively week from my previous illness, if that's what it was. Rather, I found a form of defense much more useful. Everytime he struck a blow with his blade, it left a wound, but over the course of time, every one of the wounds healed fully! This is remarkable... I only remember seeing it with the demons I fought as a Praesidium de Noctem.
---But wait... have I become a demon myself? The demon king said I would be too much trouble to turn, and even if not, he is destroyed. If I am a demon, why do I have control of my actions with the exception of my thirst? Perhaps... the tingling. As I entered the portal, that must've been it. I couldn't understand the feeling at the time, but maybe that is somehow related. I must find a way to get some answers. Unfortunately, only the priests, of all living beings, will have them. If the priests were to discover... perhaps that is a goal for later.
---For now, I have found my defense, and a shocking discovery for my offense. It seems that when my thirst rises as I fight, a dark energy forms with me, and affects my opponents in strange ways. As the darkness swirled around them, I noticed they were partially blinded, sometimes frozen still, and even in great fear at times. It seems a weapon would be useless compared to what I already have available anyway. I daresay, this might be fun.
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