One of the greatest allures of vampirism is the power and ability conferred by the transformation. The young tend to revel in these new found abilities – like a child freed from the normal restraints of boundaries, discipline, and even just plain common sense. For those who had little, or felt disenfranchised as normal people, the power can bring a new confidence. It can also bring arrogance or over confidence.
Many youth often forget one simple fact – when one is normal, one is average, it is easy for one to blend into the background. When one is powerful, one is visible. The powerful and the visible have a way of accumulating enemies. For no matter how strong one is when born into this life – there are others who are more powerful – many frighteningly more powerful. For our strength and abilities grow with age.
Others see their new abilities as a toy – a plaything – or the masses of people as toys and playthings. Our powers give us the ability to dominate and control through means both overt and subtle. Some use this capability to build up legions of followers – though this seems a hollow existence based on nothing more than insecurity. For what has one demonstrated through such domination other than the fact that one has the ability. What can the dominated, or worse – the sycophants – truly offer anyone in terms of companionship?
Many of our kind meet untimely ends for no reason other than they are careless of their power. Certainly, many also underestimate their enemies, but in the final analysis it is more important that their enemies did not underestimate them. Those given to lavish displays are like the card player who plays with their hand face up. Their strengths – and weaknesses – are on display for the entire world to see. One can always be sure that someone is taking notes – somewhere.
The greatest test of strength – the greatest test of true power – is knowing when to apply it. If one’s powers are not on display for the world to see, it becomes impossible for one’s enemies to adequately prepare a plan of attack. One’s foolish enemies will underestimate their foe and fall to the wayside. One’s clever enemies – truly the real threat – will be given pause and will not act rashly – delaying perhaps indefinitely any real attack.
When forced to use one’s strength – that force must be applied with speed, precision, and with a single achievable goal in mind. Once that goal is achieved the use of force must end as abruptly as it started. One must be like the shadow until the strike is delivered, and then one must return to that shadow once the blow has been struck. To do otherwise exposes one to all of one’s enemies because one is most exposed in the moment before and after the strike.
Many of our kind never survive long enough to learn the wisdom of caution. Though we move in the night – we are powerful – and therefore we are not anonymous. The night has eyes – know who is watching – and prepare accordingly.
