Zephon sat down in the small room, arms resting on the table in front of him as he looked out the window beside him. Below him, his Clan's Territories extended into the night with the stars illuminating the canyons and fields. The river that ran around and under his Cathedral looked like a pale ribbon of silk with the moon's light; on both banks he could see his children practice their swordplay or archery. The table in front of Zephon had two candles burning softly in their silver stands and the chair opposite of him was vacant at the moment; a covered dish holding Zarina's food waited for her. The Lieutenant had followed his own advice and Raziel's; he would meet with Zarina and find out more about her, teach her the ropes for lack of a better word of the Cathedral.
"Sometimes," he muttered to himself, "I believe I am the biggest paradox of all Nosgoth." He chuckled quietly to himself and pulled the sleeves of his white shirt down and brushed his hair back. Zephon could see his reflection in the window; narrowed eyes that always showed distrust, his thin lips in a slight frown, skin pale and a slight gray. He would feed after this meeting, Zephon reminded himself. The door to the chamber opened and the Clan lord turned his head to see his consort standing there.
Zarina walked into the room, her hands clasped in front of her and head bowed slightly. She wore a modest dress of crushed velvet, dyed a deep green, with a white shawl wrapped about her shoulders with Zephon's symbol stitched onto the back. Seeing that made him angry for just a moment, but it passed and he did not let the emotion show on his face. Zarina's face did not hold their fear that is had when she had first come to the Cathedral; now the expression was more one of silent defeat but willing to accept it. The sorceress' hair had been brushed back and placed into a braid that trailed down to her waist and hung with small ornaments. She sat down gracefully, Zephon's yellow eyes following her every move.
"Your supper, consort. So, how does the night fare for you," Zephon's voice was cordial, composed.
Zarina's blue eyes looked up from her meal at Zephon. "I am trying to get into the pattern of life around here, my lord. It is difficult, but not impossible. The night is still young but it is beautiful outside." Her voice was calm, quiet and almost devoid of emotion.
He looked out the window as she ate, caught up in a little drama between two fledglings that were 'helping' their friend from falling into the river. As the 'friends' grabbed the young vampire's hands, they let go of him and at the last moment caught the hapless vampire before he fell in. Zephon gave a small smile and turned back to Zarina. "Are your rooms satisfactory or do you require someplace else?"
"No, my lord. They are excellent. And thank you for the tailor and clothing."
"You are my consort; I cannot have you dressing in rags," Zephon replied icily. A silence stretched out for an eternity until he spoke again, his voice sharp. "If you are finished eating, then come with me." The vampire lord rose from his chair and walked over to the door. Zarina hurried after him, wrapping her shawl tightly about her shoulders as they stepped out into the hall. "I will give you a tour of my palace. Walk quickly, or you will be left behind and lost, then you will have to find your own way back to your rooms."
"Yes." The halls were lit by torches and filled the air with warmth. Not that it truly mattered to the vampires as they were dead, but it made a difference to the human servants and slaves kept about. Zephon silently sneered as he saw Zarina rub her hands together against the cold that seeped in through the walls.
When she spoke, her voice was so quiet that even Zephon barely heard it. "This Cathedral is massive, like a titan. I once heard that it belonged to the Sarafan until they were defeated, but I never imagined it to be this big. Some of the architecture does not look human; did your kind add onto this building after you took it from the former owners, my lord?"
Zephon looked at her coldly, but the Cathedral was his pride and joy, so when he spoke there was a note of arrogance in the air. "Of course we have added to this place. The Sarafan thought that with this fortress, they would be unstoppable in their campaign to crush us vampires; it became their tomb. Over the centuries I have made fitting adjustments to the Cathedral. The first thing I wish to show you is this." Zephon waved a claw about as the two stepped into one of the main chambers of the Cathedral. Running up from the ground and rising into the darkness were massive pipes, their metal a dull green.
"And these pipes, what purpose did they serve?" Zarina pressed a hand to the cold metal and looked at the maze of pipes.
"From an organ deep within the Cathedral, the Sarafan use to play their music, and the pipes would amplify the deadly sound, for if there were any vampires nearby they would be struck senseless by the notes and made easy prey for the hunting parties."
Zarina gave a small smile and looked at Zephon. "Then there must have been a very bad player at the keys. Do you get the joke, vampires and bad music?"
Zephon gave her an icy look and said in a cold voice, "I do not see any wit in the joke. If you had been here to see the situation and on the side of the vampires, then you would not jest about such things. Now onto the next part of the palace." The Clan lord moved quickly down a flight of curving steps, silently wishing that Zarina would fall behind and become lost, but there was no such luck. He took her to see the great libraries where knowledge from the old Age of Nosgoth could still be found, introduced her to any of his vampires that approached their leader and curious about his consort, then took Zarina to the highest part of the Cathedral to view the Gardens of the Dead. She did not try to make any more jokes, but asked questions after questions that made Zephon think that shoving her off the Cathedral would be a quick and easy solution. Of course he did not act upon it, but Zephon thought about it.
"Shall we return now? You look tired," Zephon secretly sighed as he saw a large yawn escape Zarina's lips. He would not have to put up with her for much longer.
"Yes, my lord, I believe I should."
"So how do you like your new home?" The quick emotion that crossed the sorceress' face gave Zephon all the answer that he needed. She hated it here, but would of course lie. But Zarina did not speak at all but wrapped her shawl tightly around her shoulders as she gave one last look at the land surrounding the Cathedral. As Zephon led the way down from the spire that overlooked the garden, footfalls coming from down the hall and fast made him stop, Zarina bumped into the Lieutenant as Zephon nearly fell off the last few stairs. Out of the darkness came Natarek, robes disheveled and dried with blood, his face filled with panic and relief as he spotted his lord. Zephon knew something was instantly wrong, for his own lieutenant never raced down halls or had so much of an expression on his face at one time. Stopping, the vampire bowed to Zarina, then looked at Zephon.
"You-you must come at once, my lord," he gasped as he delivered the message. "It is of utmost importance."
"What is the meaning of this," the Clan lord spoke as he gazed over his lieutenant. Seeing the anxiety in his eyes, Zephon nodded. "Very well. Zarina, I am sure that you can find your own way back to your chambers," Zephon spared a glance in her direction.
"My lord, let me come as well. It is my duty as a consort." Zephon had no time for arguing with the way that Natarek was pulling on his arm.
"Then come along, but remain quiet." The two walked quickly behind Natarek, who would not speak of what had happened but saying that they had to see it themselves to understand the full gravity of what was happening.
"Sometimes," he muttered to himself, "I believe I am the biggest paradox of all Nosgoth." He chuckled quietly to himself and pulled the sleeves of his white shirt down and brushed his hair back. Zephon could see his reflection in the window; narrowed eyes that always showed distrust, his thin lips in a slight frown, skin pale and a slight gray. He would feed after this meeting, Zephon reminded himself. The door to the chamber opened and the Clan lord turned his head to see his consort standing there.
Zarina walked into the room, her hands clasped in front of her and head bowed slightly. She wore a modest dress of crushed velvet, dyed a deep green, with a white shawl wrapped about her shoulders with Zephon's symbol stitched onto the back. Seeing that made him angry for just a moment, but it passed and he did not let the emotion show on his face. Zarina's face did not hold their fear that is had when she had first come to the Cathedral; now the expression was more one of silent defeat but willing to accept it. The sorceress' hair had been brushed back and placed into a braid that trailed down to her waist and hung with small ornaments. She sat down gracefully, Zephon's yellow eyes following her every move.
"Your supper, consort. So, how does the night fare for you," Zephon's voice was cordial, composed.
Zarina's blue eyes looked up from her meal at Zephon. "I am trying to get into the pattern of life around here, my lord. It is difficult, but not impossible. The night is still young but it is beautiful outside." Her voice was calm, quiet and almost devoid of emotion.
He looked out the window as she ate, caught up in a little drama between two fledglings that were 'helping' their friend from falling into the river. As the 'friends' grabbed the young vampire's hands, they let go of him and at the last moment caught the hapless vampire before he fell in. Zephon gave a small smile and turned back to Zarina. "Are your rooms satisfactory or do you require someplace else?"
"No, my lord. They are excellent. And thank you for the tailor and clothing."
"You are my consort; I cannot have you dressing in rags," Zephon replied icily. A silence stretched out for an eternity until he spoke again, his voice sharp. "If you are finished eating, then come with me." The vampire lord rose from his chair and walked over to the door. Zarina hurried after him, wrapping her shawl tightly about her shoulders as they stepped out into the hall. "I will give you a tour of my palace. Walk quickly, or you will be left behind and lost, then you will have to find your own way back to your rooms."
"Yes." The halls were lit by torches and filled the air with warmth. Not that it truly mattered to the vampires as they were dead, but it made a difference to the human servants and slaves kept about. Zephon silently sneered as he saw Zarina rub her hands together against the cold that seeped in through the walls.
When she spoke, her voice was so quiet that even Zephon barely heard it. "This Cathedral is massive, like a titan. I once heard that it belonged to the Sarafan until they were defeated, but I never imagined it to be this big. Some of the architecture does not look human; did your kind add onto this building after you took it from the former owners, my lord?"
Zephon looked at her coldly, but the Cathedral was his pride and joy, so when he spoke there was a note of arrogance in the air. "Of course we have added to this place. The Sarafan thought that with this fortress, they would be unstoppable in their campaign to crush us vampires; it became their tomb. Over the centuries I have made fitting adjustments to the Cathedral. The first thing I wish to show you is this." Zephon waved a claw about as the two stepped into one of the main chambers of the Cathedral. Running up from the ground and rising into the darkness were massive pipes, their metal a dull green.
"And these pipes, what purpose did they serve?" Zarina pressed a hand to the cold metal and looked at the maze of pipes.
"From an organ deep within the Cathedral, the Sarafan use to play their music, and the pipes would amplify the deadly sound, for if there were any vampires nearby they would be struck senseless by the notes and made easy prey for the hunting parties."
Zarina gave a small smile and looked at Zephon. "Then there must have been a very bad player at the keys. Do you get the joke, vampires and bad music?"
Zephon gave her an icy look and said in a cold voice, "I do not see any wit in the joke. If you had been here to see the situation and on the side of the vampires, then you would not jest about such things. Now onto the next part of the palace." The Clan lord moved quickly down a flight of curving steps, silently wishing that Zarina would fall behind and become lost, but there was no such luck. He took her to see the great libraries where knowledge from the old Age of Nosgoth could still be found, introduced her to any of his vampires that approached their leader and curious about his consort, then took Zarina to the highest part of the Cathedral to view the Gardens of the Dead. She did not try to make any more jokes, but asked questions after questions that made Zephon think that shoving her off the Cathedral would be a quick and easy solution. Of course he did not act upon it, but Zephon thought about it.
"Shall we return now? You look tired," Zephon secretly sighed as he saw a large yawn escape Zarina's lips. He would not have to put up with her for much longer.
"Yes, my lord, I believe I should."
"So how do you like your new home?" The quick emotion that crossed the sorceress' face gave Zephon all the answer that he needed. She hated it here, but would of course lie. But Zarina did not speak at all but wrapped her shawl tightly around her shoulders as she gave one last look at the land surrounding the Cathedral. As Zephon led the way down from the spire that overlooked the garden, footfalls coming from down the hall and fast made him stop, Zarina bumped into the Lieutenant as Zephon nearly fell off the last few stairs. Out of the darkness came Natarek, robes disheveled and dried with blood, his face filled with panic and relief as he spotted his lord. Zephon knew something was instantly wrong, for his own lieutenant never raced down halls or had so much of an expression on his face at one time. Stopping, the vampire bowed to Zarina, then looked at Zephon.
"You-you must come at once, my lord," he gasped as he delivered the message. "It is of utmost importance."
"What is the meaning of this," the Clan lord spoke as he gazed over his lieutenant. Seeing the anxiety in his eyes, Zephon nodded. "Very well. Zarina, I am sure that you can find your own way back to your chambers," Zephon spared a glance in her direction.
"My lord, let me come as well. It is my duty as a consort." Zephon had no time for arguing with the way that Natarek was pulling on his arm.
"Then come along, but remain quiet." The two walked quickly behind Natarek, who would not speak of what had happened but saying that they had to see it themselves to understand the full gravity of what was happening.