The Golden Times, of Pain

“The wraith of man has come to my door; with bullets of gore…The red roses begun to bleed.”-1

I’ve walked through ancient Greece, seeing all the wars and blood-shed the Romans caused us, the she land that I once lived. Searching for a sign of my own existence but nothing came to me, only the clouds of doubts, loss and this unbearable lust for vengeance. These feelings were my friends, my family, and my way of coping with the living. Walking through the wars caught a laugh out me as I wrote down a quote as the men fell to their knees begging to live. The ground damped with blood from their sons, fathers, and friends, truly, how can they still fight in an ocean like this? Their screams were heard over the Aegean Sea like sea gulls crying out from the waves. As my enemies fell upon them slashing one by one fire arising all around the troops. The scenery filled the irony of my shadow walking through the grounds, hooded with bodies to men on horses, horses on men this is our life…To witness the pain of what chaos can bring.2

“The wraith of man will be consumed by their true form…War will blind them in the fire of Hades, leaving all of Greece to be in ruins, all the lands will dry and no more will anyone cry. Their tears will dry open this damped land of rough and rusty history that will soon come to an end.”3

But these were my words alone and no one should have them...I’m more than just a man, or a mortal…I’m something that you shall see soon, since time is on my side. I’m a quite man as you can tell, but I want to share something that will cause me to feel unwell...You see, my mind is made up with doubts and guilt but I hope this will help me move on from all the pain of a simple rose cast on upon my own weary heart. 4

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I walk in casually into the door way seeing red, gold, blacks something I was found of staring. The one I was looking for was standing around a couch full of ladies coquet with them in their fashion gowns. I shook my head at him he was always and will be the same dull, witty old fool, the person I blame on everything. True, it’s not nice to say such manner of a cold drunken alley man on one’s own friend but if one should have known him before I; then don’t even rejoinder.6

I walk up towards him, my long coat sailing through with each step with the sleeves hanging down to my sides, my blond long curly hair waved with the breeze as I walk with some skip to my shoes, with the venture of making him unnerved by my presence.7

“Ah, John it’s an honor to meet you ...Again.” John looked at me in a hallowed way, smiling like a saint. I shuddered at him bit. He had much more of a subdued face than the last time I saw him in England in the 1700’s. There was a lurid sense of pressure around the guest as I stood by John; he finally spoke with an English accent.8

“Ah, yes Mr. Jones it’s a pleasure to finally see you, yet again, in those god forsaken clothes!” 9

My tone was vexed as I looked into his death purl white eyes. 10

“You’re the one to talk, Mr. Parricide, ah yes I saw you slay your own kin and now living in their ashes of gold. My if I was your father ,I would have been proud that my only son in the sin of greed killed me for my money then try to be judiciously using it from my back.”11

I continued to look at him superciliously as my face became red in furry.12

“One more thing if I was your father, I would be giving the back side of your well being a good flayed with a horse whip by thunder! No one and I mean no one talks to me in the manner of my own choice of clothes and to tell you young man! If I was not there to save you from…” His hand went up as in to silence me before I finished.13

“For Pete’s sakes be still Ventago, please leave that out of the topic please!”14

I chuckled and sighed from his reaction.15

“Why should I it was that day we meant which gave me, reason to be alive however; I guess we can’t apart from our old selves eh John? The past haunts us but what you need to know is the past made us who we are now.” His look on his face grew grave; he toiled with his next choice of words.16

“You see Ventago I want to let go of my past. But how can I if you walk right into my life? You make me feel as I’m the shadow of the damned. I’m trying to live an amicably life not the one of killing, cursing others with our dark gift.” I looked at him my eyes turned to a hazel red, my laughter fills the room.17

“John, John my dear old friend, you’re too docile to be a man of wealth besides we are killers, our ancestors were, their children were and look at who made us, gave us their blood we are immortals.”18

John gazed right into me feeling my soul with his own sorrows. My head rose from his gaze, the lights from the ceiling made a heavenly entrance with my hair. I smiled, my head slowly coming back to his conversation.19

“You have changed a little, maybe too these people who love you but as to me...I would say not at all in my point of view, I came here to discuss an important issue to speak.”20

He nodded and motions me to follow him. His house was filled with old history books, gold jewels and everything else we stole when we were young.21

“John you must understand this, we are ancients! Masters of wisdom, we have lived on this earth for over eight-hounded years. Seen the unseen, our ears have picked up the unheard do you see? We are the statues of gods!” My eyes gleam as I stopped in front of an old figure from ancient Rome; I smiled looking in the frame.22

“Hm not to mention vampires are feared in many parts of the world, we are admiring by those of ladies and gents and yet you want a different life?” John nods and continues to walk.23

He eyes me again from his shoulder.24

“As you see thou has hast far too long with wings of death on thee’s back.” He grins, showing his fangs from his upper gums.25

“Thou have judged my wings for the last straw!” John locks his eyebrows wide 26

“Tis not I to be swoon by thee’s mind of thy wings but tis I know for sure you found breast that you’ can’t ignore eh?” His eyebrows were still locked in wide stones.27

“Ventago please stop you make a man feel like pleasure of a women!” He laughed.28

“Yi, is that so? Do you trust me?”29

“Nay.”30

“Why?”31

His footsteps decline in their next direction, he looks to the left then right, finally back to me.32

“Trust is not the issue here Ventago, it’s the same feeling I had when we were young males looking for a reason of being. I feel as though I did grow old, tattered turned into dust. The same dust that blows in the deserts of old times that have dwelled down in written form.”33

“Then what is this controversy your voice quivers on?”34

My voice questions as he paces himself into a dark room covered with black roses with golden stems. I narrowed my eyes rolling them like two tides clashing together, and walked in.35

“Be honest with me Ventago, you came here seeking answers not a leisure.”36

“True, I did, but you’re making this into a coil my friend.”37

“A coil what do you mean?” He emerged from drank darkness that swallowed the shadows in the room John’s eyes were staring right through me with questioning. I took a step back catching the breeze from the back door’s sliding window.38

“I mean that you are a vagrant child who knows what answers I seek.” I said my tone vexed again.39

“Ah, the things you say, well ask away my dear troubled irritant old owl.”40

“Irritant ha you’re the one to talk, a child who is a vagrant soul walking solemnly in his dark gift from which he chose to have!”41

“Ah, so the old owl does have a beak to peck with eh?” 42

“Oh for Zeus sakes slap him already with your iron lightning bolt!” 43

“Ah Ventago you remind me of Apollo.” His eyes gazed at a portrait of Apollo standing next to a fallen solider with an arrow deep within his chest. He continues with some mockery in his voice.44

“I bet your arrows are like his huh? Cruel, bloody and can make Hades yearn for you. Even Zeus would be proud and his lightning bolts.”45

My eyes became the furry of my mind’s anger; those words from his red lips were the last.46

“You say that to furry me into the blindness of hate, however more, of how I yearn for the longing of your demise by my hand, I cannot.” I shook my head with appall he was getting on my nerves but whom am I to care?47

“Well what is this war about Ventago?” 48

“The war is our race...Something vein is coming….I can feel it.” John heads out his head down. I follow him.49

“You must understand we are about to be expiate by hunters of the “Guild of Darkness” they are coming…I need you to help be to assemble an army.” My voice deepened for the other fellow mortals to hear, as they walk past us. I continued watching their shadows disappear from to the corner.50

“Eh…err...I can help but how many arms of men do you inquire my friend?” I raised my hand on my chin, taped with one finger.51

“Oh about two-hounded men and horses at least with plenty of food, water, and some young women to allow us to look like a tribe not a force army.” I took his hand and walked with him, the hall way was long but my mind was drifting towards the door, exit. My eyes looked at him one more time.52

“If you want to think about it go ahead, here, take this card.” I handed him the card of my fake name, house, streets, and wife with two children both new born. I bowed my head to him, turned, and walked on out. Seeing the faces deemed as I left the house.53

John’s point of view54

Here I stand holding the paper with firmness in my hand saying my good-bye to my friend as he leaves the door. I unfold the letter to what my eyes see is only a number and one sentence…This was irony all over again.55

“I might be a killer who hates to kill the likes of others…Who am I?” I grumbled taking mental note of the number then disposing the rest in to the gutter. I sighed heavenly this was more of a distraught manner then my own struggles in this life already. My body was in a disposition against the wall as the hour grew late, my hunger grew as while.56

I sighed to my side, and allowed my eyes to dim down resting for a moment; I hope this night won’t be too long; I don’t want to kill any more.57

The full moon gleamed down for me in her lights of beauty, the wind calm and cooling danced with the leaves. I muster my fate in the hands of a foe, John I hope thee can be free from his own shadow and take the time to arm yourself. The evil that you fear will come to you at all its furry bind, tore, even dispatch your own small life in the palms of those riders. I would be glade if I could play last tune of my violin for you my dear old friend foe…If only life were forgiving...If only men were forgiving and if only I was forgiving.58

I looked up towards the sky pulled out my violin and played furiously towards the heavens...There had to be a way to live…or was my time glass already filled?59

John’s view60

“Eyes of night scan the area as voices sound scurrilous towards one another, evil has come to my door with blood-shed as the rose begins to bleed. No one knows where I am, no one knows little old me, I’m lost in the light frighten of my shadow who laughs and haunts me with chills from the past.” I sat there looking down at the paper my thoughts full of querulous ideas about this army. How would I, the one who despises the taste of blood…Gather an army who will spill it on the grassy plans? None of this made any since; Ventago returning, that eerie look about him and this so called group of his. What does it all mean?61

There was nothing so sure in my mind to trust him however, something in me told me to. The candle flickered then blew out. I was in my own head dark and alone, this was my room and will forever be so; while I was in this empty state of mind a knock startled me. 62

“What is it?” A weak voice from behind the door answered my calling.63

“Oh...It’s just that we have another person to see you.” I heard footsteps walk away from my room. I narrowed my eyes and sighed. I wonder who this person could be bothering me at this time of night sorrow. I got up my eyes shielding from the light from coming out of my wearing mind and in the open candles that await me. 64

“This feeling is getting to bug me, why can’t I see the world’s suffering? I’m a lost soul that sees only darkness? If so then why did I chose this immortal life? What was the purpose of my well being to be a monster in this life that I chose to live in?” My head swam with these questions.65

“Why must this be? A war, a broken heart from the dark gift and yet here I am the same young man in London before all of this…Evil came to me.” My thoughts broke as a voice entered my ears ringing with annoyance. 66

“Sorry John I must attend this stupidly in my house, and yet another annoying person must bother me. Dame sometimes I hate being the “master” of my own home…Then again my families.”67

I grinned as I said that as little iniquitous was going through my veins. I snapped out it as I stared into the eyes of a maiden.68

“Are you the one who wanted me my lady?” 69

“Also to what do I want with you?” I tried to give her a smile but my mind was swimming in a black hole. She looked at me with her youthful sapphire eyes glittering in the dime light candles. 70

“Yes I am my lord I wanted to see you for the sake of this castle, your home.” Her voice was a stream of doubts rubbing against the shallow waters, closing in on the ocean, she sounded not sure. My head tilted to the side, as I listened to her soft unsure tone of voice.71

“To what is wrong with my home…You sound as though something malice is here right in front of you. My lady this house is safe from what you assume.” She looked at me but this time her eyes turn me away like waves in the open sea.72

“Have I said something offensive towards you?” She suddenly turned around and begins to walk away.73

“Have I madam? Please wait and tell me what do you seek me for?”74

But she was gone in the speed of sound. I gave a huff over my shoulder this was troublesome but yet I still can’t get Ventago out of my mind. I was worried for him but why should I be overwrought about him for? He was the one who whispered the bad news to me. I walked around in a circle fretful the others will know my new attitude tonight. I stopped in my circling tense sensation when I notice the other guest staring at me with bulging eyes of question.75

“Do not mind me my dear friends I’m thinking that’s all my mind is the mesh of a gooey swamp, I’m weary and very tired with seriousness from the word I have received by an ear to my own. I hope you may go.”76

“This will be a night-mare that we might wake up from. I hope Ventago you find a way I’ll handle the troops but not the war.” My eyes watched the flashing of bodies leaving parentally they new in my tone of voice, or just wanting to go, that something is stirring in the air. I walked back solely into my room in the upstairs corner. I opened the window to see the full moon herself, at that moment is when I knew…This evil that was coming was already here—Just where?77

Ventago’s point78

Here I write to you my Lord Levant:79

“This choice was mine alone but where do I go now? The world has gone cold from my pale hand, tremble e , as the winds whip around me, I’m the vase that is empty from seeing you go…Where are you the shadow, of the dark gift, where did your angels wings fall? I need your advice now in this dark time of need. Where there is man there shall be war and within that war will bring the regrets of the aftermath of the pools of blood that we will spill. This is our purpose is to see our enemies fall before us in this so called war that we live in for the rest of life itself...Until the end of days. We will feel the pains from the dead of the old world, seeking their vengeance with open arms grasps with the swords that shall slay us. We men, of today will not cease to tomorrow, nor see the brighter day of the next generation. I hope you can bear with me that my speech in this is a matter of importance. I need you to come to my address here in my mind.”80

Your son and student, Ventago.81

I wrote with furry to try to make him see and come to my aide, he was the one leader of war from which raised me from the cradle. His name was once Lloyd, but he changed it to Levant, in that time he was the young prince who ruled under his father’s watch. I was the servant male only at the tender age of around oh I will say twenty-two. Those days were the ones to remember…But now I need was him to come back.82

I singled my owl to come to me; the old fat puffed out bird came flapping heavily to my side. 83

“Hoot...Hoot” I smiled and gave him the letter.84

“Give this to Levant.”85

“Hoot okay hoot.” He flew off into the night, but then crashed into to a garbage can.86

“That dumb bird.” I shook my head; he flew off fine but with sticky goo on him.87

John’s eyes88

Pacing back and forth, unwilled from my own intentions to calm down and think, I was waiting for something, just did not know what. I sighed; I tossed and turned around the halls thinking of this army I had to call. I knew of a man that will help me however, he was the type that will never forget a face, which is not a good thing.89

In the Alley’s of Deems Cell90

The Alley’s of Deems Cell is a place for those who seek a quick end to die, some die here and come back from the dead. As other are experiments from those dead, this place is also owned by one of the men that I fear. His long white hair shuns the air as it whips the people that walk on by, eschew his eyes, red bloody thirsty glare. If you don’t you’ll be aware that he is blind but one look in those pits of doom will come and seal your own demise. But this is the only man that will help us with this war that will soon come to out front doors.91

I walked into his store on the right of the streets; there he was staring deeply into a fire place his body towards me, his intense red eyes glaring into the sparks, he was breathing heavy almost gaping for air, the room around him was drab.92

“I know what you are seeking John; the fire has told me many things of what will be.” He coughed and went on. “There is more at stake here then a battle, I do fear.” He closed his eyes and sat down in the chair behind him.93

“What bothers you dear oba (another word for king)?” I moved in, my footsteps downgraded to the smallest noise. I felt cipher as I stood almost next to him hearing those words come out from his pale blue lips.94

“My time is about to end young one, the fire calls to me as you see, it flickers and brings me pain.” His hand clutches his heart as he breathes.95

“What do you want from my powers sir?”96

His red sorrowful powerful eyes rest on mine, his lips moved once more but with gentleness I had never seen.97

“I want you to lead this army of Venatgo’s and bring Levant back to the throne.”98

“But but I, nay this can’t be done! You saw what I needed to ask you and then you tell me to fix on my own?” 99

“Yes I do.” His eyes fell down to a close towards the dusty ground below, he was gone.100

“My you rest in peace and shall your soul be true, to the hand of light make you full again.” I bowed my head as he passed into the other world. 101

“What will I do know? Why must be these time be a delicate par in my life? Now that he is gone, the one who knew how to stop it, the one who came before is nothing but a sender fragment in the back of our minds. How will I find a way to stop this war better yet, how can win?” My eyesed closed as I sighed in, giving a momment to think.102