The bitter air of the sewer hung in the air like a ghost... almost visible yet not. It was moments like this that Clarice was grateful of her "condition". Not having to breath could be beneficial some times. She walked along the sewers tunnels as if she had been doing it all her life and as she did so she seemed to understand why Lazarus preferred to have a haven above ground instead of just one down here. The sewers were a blessing to the Nosferatu clan, Lazarus's clan, due to their misshapen visage they were more than happy to have lairs where most humans would not tread, lest they violate the masquerade. She smiled to herself at the fact that she finally seemed be coming to grips with the idea of being among the undead, it may have taken her a few months but she was learning more and more each night. She stood then and let the memories of her life leading to her embrace come to her... she'd never forget that night... she remembered her friend Melissa dragging her to some gathering saying that she just had to see some weird ass cult.
"How weird is it?" she remembered asking her friend.
"You'll see!" Melissa said giggling.
They arrived downtown at what used to be a magic show place that closed down years ago it was called "The Oasis" the building looked like the Sphinx pyramid Clarice had seen in oh so many books she had read when she was considering becoming an archeologist. They walked inside to see waiters dressed in tunics... loincloths whatever the hell you called that clothing that looked almost like a kilt but with golden trim and an off white cream colored fabric. The waiters were all men wearing nothing but that form of clothing and golden colored sandals. 'This is it?... 'Clarice thought as she looked over the place. Melissa gave her a "shush" gesture as if she heard what Clarice had just thought and dragged her over to two of the biggest bouncers Clarice had ever laid eyes on. The two men in their 6'4 muscled frames looked down at the girls with dark eyes. "The scarab has found it's home." whispered Melissa to the men, instantly the two men moved aside to reveal a door that blended in almost perfectly with the hieroglyphic covered wallpaper.
The hallway seemed to lead on forever, lighted only by torches placed along the old stone walls. Five minutes later they came to a chamber with statues of snakes in mid strike on both sides of stairs leading up to a stone door with a 2 foot wide jeweled scarab in its middle. As Clarice surveyed the area she heard a feminine almost purring yet commanding voice say "Welcome..." Clarice almost jumped at the sound, unnerved at the fact she couldn't seem to find its source. Suddenly a woman came out of the shadows into Clarice's line of sight. She was dressed in a flowing yet shapely olive colored dress and adorned with exotic golden jewelry that seemed almost painted on. Her makeup was perfectly done, almost to the point where you didn't notice her eyes, which seemed almost snake-like, yet when the woman blinked whatever made Clarice think of the woman's eyes as inhuman turned into an almost almond, both shaped and colored, foreign eyes. The woman herself almost looked like part of the decoration, her skin the color of dark yet dull sand paired with her outfit looked like it would be better placed in a photo in national geographic than in person at former magic show building. "My name is Cassandra." said the woman as she closed her eyes and tilted her head slightly while bowing it. "You come for enlightenment?" she said purring as she glanced at the two young women.
Clarice was frozen in place, yet she managed to keep a straight face hiding the fear so very close to it. "My friend brought me here..." said Clarice with no emotion in it, ignoring the hairs on her neck standing on end. 'I have that creepy feeling again...' she thought. 'That feeling that I'm at a severe disadvantage and that I should leave quickly. I only wish I knew why'.
Melissa just beamed at Cassandra "This place is amazing!"
At Melissa's words Cassandra merely closed her eyes and smiled.
"What is this place?" Said Clarice, suddenly getting very sick of Melissa's fondness for weirdness.
Cassandra still looking surreal said "A place of enlightenment."
"Enlightenment of what?" said Clarice almost growling.
"Clarice!" said Melissa shocked at her bluntness.
"Enlightenment in the Dark God." said Cassandra who seemed to take no offense at Clarice's question and tone.
"Set." said Clarice saying it almost in a whisper.
Cassandra smiled and looked approvingly at Clarice "Yes... you know of him child?"
"More than I'd care too... " said Clarice bluntly "Come on Mel.. we're leaving."
"I'm afraid not... " said Cassandra, "For I would be foolish to allow such promising youths leave without their... enlightenment?"
'Her face... oh god I'll never forget it... snake eyes on a human face and her teeth... they were no longer teeth... they were fangs!" thought Clarice coming out of her memories and just in time too...
Suddenly a voice pierced the silence of the sewers "Are the Lambs still screaming Clarice...?" said the voice in a mocking yet comforting way. It was then that Malakai stepped out of a nearby tunnel with that pasted on big smile and hauntingly stunning eyes the color of frost on a pale sapphire. You'd think by how pale there were that he was blind. But he was far from it, he had a keen eye for details though he never really voiced them that often, he kept his own counsel and for that Clarice found him more and more reliable.
"You scared the crap out of me." growled Clarice darkly letting her claws sink back into her fingers.
Malakai gave that touchable laugh that made anybody around him feel unnerved yet comfortable, that laugh that made the promise of everything yet nothing. It made you feel that your were being lifted up but at the same you knew that you could have gravity turned against you at any second, and yet he was trustworthy. He had been there for Clarice the second she awakened to new life and guided her. He was not her sire, he didn't bestow the "dark kiss" upon her, but he was the closest thing to a father she had in both this life she was in and the last one, the human one. She knew she was instantly much safer than she was a minute ago and with that thought she smiled.