Darkness had fallen once again, and the hunger was upon him once more.
It was as true a promise as a rising and setting sun, and Aziel knew
that he would need to feed.

But unlike some, he did not deny what he was, nor did he fear it. He
was a predator, and his victims were prey. It might have been as
simple as that to most vampires, but it wasn't that simple to a Flesh-
Eater. Flesh-Eaters took the whole thing just a step further, and
their culture, their practices dictated that only a worthy opponent
would do.

Flesh-Eaters chose to hunt other vampires or vampire hunters and never
preyed upon innocent humans.

Since there was no possible way for him to feed without killing,
Aziel, the Flesh-Eater, chose his prey very carefully, as did all
Flesh-Eaters.

He had been watching all evening for signs of other predators
in the area which he could challenge. He looked amongst the vampire
population for those who treated mortals badly, though some Flesh-
Eaters settled for any supernatural prey at all. Aziel had found in
the last five hundred years since he was born in in the Middle East,
near the modern city of Bagdad, that their was never a shortage of
wickness in the vampire population.

As his own father, also a Flesh-Eater, had told him as a child of
nine, when he was first learning to feed on his own without the
assistance of his parents.

"Some of us have to be at the top of the food chain, Aziel, it is
the way of things. Natural selection. We as Flesheaters have a
code of honor. We treat others with the honor and respect they
show us, and that they deserve. We do not prey upon the lessers,
the innocents the mortals. When you need to feed the hunger,
chose vampire prey. Remain pure in that way..."

He followed ancient practice of pursuing another vampire as prey. This
was something he always did, and he never lapsed on.

He waited until he saw a Blood Drinking vampire in the alleyway, going
for a walk. He already knew this one was dishonorable and a murderer
of humans, so when he got him alone he did not hesitate to strike.

Because he had developed the ancient vampire gift of meta-claws,Aziel
had no need of any weapons other then this.

He curled his hands into fists and watched as the two long bladelike
extensions grew from his right knuckle. They most resembled sliding
katars, except they were mystically made.

The pain was not something that even phased him anymore. He was so
accostomed to this process.

He struck, aiming for the back of the vampires neck.

Paralysis was his first aim. He wanted the victim not to be able to
move as he proceeded to do this.

Some Flesh-Eaters were cruel enough to leave all victims alive
during this process. Recently dead flesh was just as good for
feeding as living tissue. Aziel however preferred to behead the victim
so that they would not have to suffer needlessly. His only exception
was in blood vengeance upon someone who had personally wronged him.

For some reason he could not explain, as Aziel finished his
feasting, fulfilling the hunger out of necessity the body of his
victim began crumbling into dust and ashes. It was what always
happened when a Flesh-Eater feasted upon a victim. There was
nothing to remain to give away anything at all had occured to the
mortal world, and only a vampire would be able to pick up the
psychic impressions of his struggle which remained.

It was a mystery, what about the feeding caused the body to completely
decay to nothing. It was one of many reasons Flesh-Eaters considered
themselves to be above other kinds of vampires, with the most
important
reason of all being that they had honor.

Even the Soul-Eaters, the vampires whom the Flesh-Eaters shared the
dark comaradie with, were imperfect because at some point, they had
lost their honor and begun to feed upon humans.

Aziel could hear his fathers voice in his mind, the ancient way
of the Flesh-Eater which he had imparted to him as a child, as he
watched the body of his victim crumble to dust. "Other vampires
are our prey until they demonstrate a sense of honor. If they
do not do this, then they deserve nothing more than to be
shown their inferiority."

Aziel watched the ashes blowing in the wind, and repeated the ancient
words to what was left of the corpse. "Why should you be feared,
when you are as nothing? When you are but dust in the wind, and
I shall endure the ages?"

Jasmine Parker was walking through the alleyway, when she saw the
dust blowing in the wind, and she heard the man who seemed to be
going on about something or another. She had no idea whatsoever what
he was talking about.

"Who are you talking to?" Jasmine asked the man who's middle eastern
descent was quite obvious to her. She had met plenty of wackos in her
time, and probably, likely that was all he was, as he was talking and
nothing was there.

Aziel heard the voice of the woman. He answered her honestly
enough. "It is an ancient admonition unto the enemy, spoken unto the
gods..."

"I do not see any enemy here...." Jasmine said in reply. She began
following him as he moved through the alleway.

Aziel stopped by the mortal woman. She did not understand. Perhaps
she never would. Or perhaps she would have no choice but to
understand before the end of this age. "The enemy is everywhere, all
around us both, yet you perceive it not. You live in ignorance.
Ignorance can be bliss. Or it can be your destruction."

Aziel continued to walk on with disinterest. Unless the woman showed
herself to be worthy of conversion, there was no reason to be troubled
about her anymore. She had yet to ask any of the right questions.