"Chronicles of Immortality, Matthew" - (Installment 8)

"No, Matu, you are not like that. The Blood has not given you that hunger; you are one of the few immortals who do not have it."
"The few? Then there are more?" I was hopeful for a moment.
"Yes, but they are spread over the world and hunted by the undead, who believe that if they consume the undyings flesh, they will be cured of the hunger."
"Will it cure them?" I asked.
"No. There is no cure, it is part of what they... part of what I am. The hunger drives the body even when the mind is gone. The greatest food is the flesh and blood of another immortal, if that cannot be had then the flesh of man will serve, and when there is nothing else, animal flesh will serve."

"Why not just eat animal flesh?"
"You do not understand Matu, because you do not have the hunger. If denied then the hunger will take your mind away. Only the very ancient and very strongest may deny it. The newly awakened undead take only blood for it brings faster nourishment, if they do not feed they will be consumed by their own bodies. They are the most dangerous because their minds are subdued by the hunger."
He paused thinking what to say next, and I asked him something which I had been wondering about. "Is Vexiaus one of the Blood?"

He looked closely at me and said, "Yes, but he is not immortal, with death who knows what he may become."
"I can feel his presence the same way I feel yours and others, he is nearly as strong as you."
"Vexiaus is of a singular bloodline that produces giants, I have trained him as only an immortal can, he carries my mark."
"You are Chiron. I've seen your mark before, on princess Mera, Ajax's sister."

Babaef looked hard at me again and after a time said, "Yes, I trained Mera also. She and Achilles are my greatest students."
"What of Vexiaus?" I asked.
"Vexiaus is also a great warrior, Mera and I thought he would be a good bodyguard to you. Your body remembers things that your mind is new to, in time you will be the being that you were before, Vexiaus will see that you are given the opportunity."
Something had been burning at me for the hours that he had been telling me these things. "Why do you care Babaef?"

It was the one time that he did not consider what he was going to say, the one time that he didn't weigh his words against my reactions. He looked at me with his black eyes and the gold flecks blazed there. "Because I want to see the Enemy destroyed. Aeratu plays us like a toy on a string, the greater the pain he causes the more he relishes it and I will do anything to stop it."

He spat the words out and for the first time I truly felt his strength, I had thought Vexiaus was strong, but he was nothing compared to the blaze of blood red fire that was Babaef. I could physically feel his presence and the way he burned with hatred. What could make someone hate like that? I only realized I had spoken the thought when he turned those smoldering eyes back to me.

The fire dampened but it did not go out. It was the other Babaef now, the one who thought before he spoke. "When the Evil found me, I was grieving and waiting for my death. I had watched my family, my people, my world, dry to a husk. I was waiting to rejoin them and for the pain to stop. He took that from me and he made me live for ten thousand life times with the memories of watching my love and children die of thirst."

The door opened, Vexiaus asked with real concern, "Master are you well?"
Babaef nodded and waved him to close the door. I felt the fire in him fading away to its normal veiled presence.
"Matu, we are running out of time, it will be daylight soon and I must go, it could be that I will not see you again. Who can say? But before I go there are more things that I must tell you."

He looked about and then continued, "You have hidden your knowledge in places where only you can refind them. When I spoke to you last, before the flood, you said you knew of a way to slay any immortal outright."
He looked at me with real hope, as if his words would drag that knowledge out of me. But when nothing came to me and I saw that hope fade. "I have searched everywhere for those secrets and have found only hints of it. You must find it or rediscover it."
I'm sure I must have gaped at him, because I was overwhelmed with the idea. ‘How was I supposed to find that out?’ Again I spoke my thoughts, or they were so apparent that he answered.

"Because you are Matu and the most wise among us, you have put what you know in a thousand places, and you always find it. It's what you are."
A cock crowed and he stared at the window with hatred. He stood and gathered his robes around him, shrouding his face and hiding his hands.

"Can you not stand the day?" I asked, wanting him to tell me more.
"I can tolerate it but it leaves me blind and in pain. My resolve might lapse and I would be a danger to those around me. I must go. I will tell you this before I go, trust no one who cannot easily walk in the sun, and only half trust those who do." He opened the door and was gone.
I had a thousand more questions.