He took a step closer, deliberately letting the sweet aroma of her blood fill his nostrils and cause the demon within him to reveal itself. Her fear pleased him as his face contorted, fangs glistening and ready for lunch. She inched away, knowing that he was not likely to keep his side of the bargain. But he'd promised. She scolded herself for trusting him, for believing he would let her live after all that had happened. Attempting to appear confident, she drew herself up to her full height and stood her ground. It had no affect. Her efforts rolled off him like water off a duck's back. She saw the predatory smile that passed between his colleagues and himself. She saw the subtle yet noticeable signal that passed between him and his senior. He stepped closer and she caught the bloodthirsty light that danced in his eyes. He lifted his hand to her chin, frcing her to look him in the eye. This game was over. She'd lost the battle and they all knew it. Reverting back to his human face, he smiled contently and released her chin. Passing his hand over her eyes, he murmured a short incantation and she crumpled to the floor, unconscious. Gazing down at her, he motioned for his colleagues to approach,
"String her up with the others, but don't damage her," He grinned, "That's *my* job."
The dark-haired vampire smiled as he walked up the row of humans. They were hung by their ankles over an altar, on which was an urn. The kind ashes were put into after a cremation. His smile broadened. As he counted the mortals hung from the beam. Six. They were ready. Ready at last. Then he suddenly became deadly serious,
"You're sure everything is in here?" He tapped the urn and a minor nodded eagerly,
"Every last particle. We are ready."
He smiled all the more as the minor scurried off to fetch the others. His gaze glided over the altar, then over the sacrifices. Finally this was going to work. Six vampires filed in through the door wearing black robes and carrying a curved blade each. The vampire stood at the head of the altar and took the book handed to him. He looked up. The rest were in position, all standing before their assigned sacrifices. Each sacrifice possessed a different gift. Telekinesis, telepathy, psychic, healing powers, soul-reading and finally the seer. He looked down at the book and began his chant,
"Hythima irthygam myntaah,
Aadrytert jyhtuim ythaart
Riythioum asythared jiuhtyh
Thyrgh lomingah domingah
Yrghad jaart garathimna."
He paused and a respectful silence fell as the throat of the first sacrifice was cut. The blood spilt over the urn and across the altar surface. His mind slowly calculating behind his glacial blue eyes, the vampire glanced at the next victim then at her executor, then back at the book and resumed his chant,
"Hythima irthygam myntaah,
Aadrytert jyhtuim ythaart
Riythioum asythared jiuhtyh
Thyrgh lomingah domingah
Yrghad jaart garathimna."
The next throat was slit and again the blood gushed out and over the urn, tracing the same reddened path as the blood before it. Resuming his chant, the last throats were sliced, and the dark-haired vampire put the book down and took a control from his pocket. Smiling faintly, he glanced at the rest of the vampires in the room,
"Stay here, wouldn't want you to miss the finale." His smile was reassuring and the vampires grinned at eachother, they were staying put. If he was going to be brought forth, they didn't want to miss it.
The vampire sauntered past them and out of the door to "prepare" for the final stage, the others stood in anticipation, fearing and admiring what was about to come.
In the hall, the vampire looked at the control in his hand. Grinning wickedly, he pressed the small blue button in the centre and waited.
Beside the altar, the vampires waited also. They expected him to return with a breath-taking finale, something truly spectacular. Something worthy of the creature they were summoning. What they got was totally unexpected. The wall behind them opened up, letting in the harsh light of day.
He waited for the screams to subside, then pressed the button again. He heard the joints creak as the wall closed and he returned to the altar. Infront of the sacrificed mortals lay the ashes of the sacrificed vampires. 12 in all. Returning to his place at the head of the altar, he looked down at the open book and finished the incantation,
"Garathimna jyhtuim mintarg
Yamaag ghaard toalingyah."
His voice cracked on the last word as the urn lid shattered and thick smoke spilled out, filling the room. Through the smoke a voice was heard, English and very relieved,
"12 sacrifices. Their deaths give me little pleasure." The smoke cleared, revealing the speaker. The vampire smiled the Master,
"But sometimes a little is enough, no?"
"String her up with the others, but don't damage her," He grinned, "That's *my* job."
The dark-haired vampire smiled as he walked up the row of humans. They were hung by their ankles over an altar, on which was an urn. The kind ashes were put into after a cremation. His smile broadened. As he counted the mortals hung from the beam. Six. They were ready. Ready at last. Then he suddenly became deadly serious,
"You're sure everything is in here?" He tapped the urn and a minor nodded eagerly,
"Every last particle. We are ready."
He smiled all the more as the minor scurried off to fetch the others. His gaze glided over the altar, then over the sacrifices. Finally this was going to work. Six vampires filed in through the door wearing black robes and carrying a curved blade each. The vampire stood at the head of the altar and took the book handed to him. He looked up. The rest were in position, all standing before their assigned sacrifices. Each sacrifice possessed a different gift. Telekinesis, telepathy, psychic, healing powers, soul-reading and finally the seer. He looked down at the book and began his chant,
"Hythima irthygam myntaah,
Aadrytert jyhtuim ythaart
Riythioum asythared jiuhtyh
Thyrgh lomingah domingah
Yrghad jaart garathimna."
He paused and a respectful silence fell as the throat of the first sacrifice was cut. The blood spilt over the urn and across the altar surface. His mind slowly calculating behind his glacial blue eyes, the vampire glanced at the next victim then at her executor, then back at the book and resumed his chant,
"Hythima irthygam myntaah,
Aadrytert jyhtuim ythaart
Riythioum asythared jiuhtyh
Thyrgh lomingah domingah
Yrghad jaart garathimna."
The next throat was slit and again the blood gushed out and over the urn, tracing the same reddened path as the blood before it. Resuming his chant, the last throats were sliced, and the dark-haired vampire put the book down and took a control from his pocket. Smiling faintly, he glanced at the rest of the vampires in the room,
"Stay here, wouldn't want you to miss the finale." His smile was reassuring and the vampires grinned at eachother, they were staying put. If he was going to be brought forth, they didn't want to miss it.
The vampire sauntered past them and out of the door to "prepare" for the final stage, the others stood in anticipation, fearing and admiring what was about to come.
In the hall, the vampire looked at the control in his hand. Grinning wickedly, he pressed the small blue button in the centre and waited.
Beside the altar, the vampires waited also. They expected him to return with a breath-taking finale, something truly spectacular. Something worthy of the creature they were summoning. What they got was totally unexpected. The wall behind them opened up, letting in the harsh light of day.
He waited for the screams to subside, then pressed the button again. He heard the joints creak as the wall closed and he returned to the altar. Infront of the sacrificed mortals lay the ashes of the sacrificed vampires. 12 in all. Returning to his place at the head of the altar, he looked down at the open book and finished the incantation,
"Garathimna jyhtuim mintarg
Yamaag ghaard toalingyah."
His voice cracked on the last word as the urn lid shattered and thick smoke spilled out, filling the room. Through the smoke a voice was heard, English and very relieved,
"12 sacrifices. Their deaths give me little pleasure." The smoke cleared, revealing the speaker. The vampire smiled the Master,
"But sometimes a little is enough, no?"