DARK FLIGHT
A/N: Wow. I never thought I'd be coming back to this story...ever. But there's nothing else to write. I try to start on other projects, but...this one just clouds my mind. I need to finish this story! 0.0;;
Anyway. Woo! Hope my fans aren't gone.
* * *
CHAPTER 6
The thick laughter echoed eerily off the stone walls of the oddly named palace, but no one received it with more annoyance hidden behind their returning grin than Karine. The almost impossibly beautiful vampiress, her golden eyes gleaming in the flickering torchlight, let her eyes wander over her rival. She smirked at him, his once-beautiful skin had grown gray and scaled...blemishing his image. He had forgotten the Trick. She, however, had retained her beauty with pride...her soft, bone-white skin and her thick, luxurious hair that fell to her waist, accenting her soft curves, and yet made more dominating by the presence of her yellowed wings...smaller than those of her brood. Her legs crossed, she allowed a smile to flicker across her bloodless lips, assuring the vampire before her that she was amused by his joke. But nothing could be farther from the truth. She was obsessed with her people's old ways, and her dress showed it; the most exquisite of those the glory days of the Razielhim had produced.
Burbor was just the opposite. He had allowed his wings to grow to the massive proportion his sons and daughters had gained, allowed his soft skin to grow thick and armored in what he thought were the places that needed the most protection. He was ugly, Karine decided, and with nothing but the unattractive around her, she despised him all the more for it. He was drunk, as well, only the finest wines taken from the Humans were allowed in Karine's court, and only those were enough to intoxicate the barbaric tribal leader.
"Another toast...to the great heritage of our people! The on'... Th' awn, the only Vamps to take to the skies!" He demanded, thrusting his goblet forward. Some of the foul liquid sloshed over the edge, ruining whatever sparse clothing he was wearing. Not that he looked as if he cared.
Karine drew the hem of her dress back in distaste, hoping to avoid staining the fabric...though it did reveal a good portion of her pale leg. The sudden smile on the male's face made her groan inwardly once more. But she pressed the rim of her goblet against her lips anyway, if only to make him believe she was as drunk as he.
"To Th'...the union of our tribes!" He shouted noisily, waving his goblet about him. More of the black drink spilled over him, not that he noticed. Karine sighed. She had already tired of putting up with this odiferous excuse for a vampire. Which was good, she supposed...it would not help her any had she become attracted to this man.
"Fraxis!" She suddenly exclaimed, startling Burbor into dropping his goblet. She snarled to herself...another mess on what was once a perfectly good floor. "Fraxis! Help the good man."
The giant Razielhim vampire gracefully stepped into the flickering light, a deadly gleam in his slit reptilian eyes. He was fully evolved, and yet more than that. A monster. While others among the Razielhim stopped at head ridges, scales, longer limbs and gigantic wings...Fraxis had grown in stature. His scaled were black, reflecting the light oddly. And the ridges were menacing spikes. A genetic oddity. And Karine's favorite...for, except for the eyes, his face was pale white, and had the look of the Old Razielhim. Her perfect bodyguard and assassin.
Without a word, the giant grabbed the suddenly sober male around the neck. With a slight pop and crackle of cartilage, dark blood gushed from the wound. An odd light gleamed in his eye as with his free hand, he grabbed the nearest torch, and non-chalantly set flame to the enraged, breathless tribe leader. And then he let go.
Karine grinned. For some odd reason, it was always a thrill to watch Fraxis work...especially when he killed her rivals. It took her breath away. The living torch, screaming wordlessly, fell flat on his face, and slowly dissolved into ash...but Karine could care less. Stepping over the remains, she traced a finger down the broad, scaly chest.
"Well done, Fraxis." She murmured, golden eyes meeting his red.
"Thank you, my Lady..." He replied, his oddly handsome features, framed by black scales, twisted into a grin.
------------
Another gigantic vampire dropped to the ground, struggling against the bolt that had suddenly bloomed from his chest, spraying black blood in every direction. With a wordless shriek, he dropped from the sky, his wings useless without the strength to work them...towards the rapidly growing figures below.
Thorin backed away, flinching in disgust as his uncle carelessly lopped off the fallen creature's head. Whether he was making sure the pitiful thing was truly dead, or for some other reason, the young boy was not sure, but this was the sixth one they had dispatched...and Machel had a gleam in his eye every time. Mikael seemed to be going along with it, not really appearing to care, casually reloading another deadly bolt into his crossbow...but Thorin could not help but feel soiled.
"Tell me again, Uncle. Why are we doing this?" Both the relative in question and his twin brother stared at him, as if he were mad.
An odd grin played across Machel's face. "These creatures are not vampires, Thorin. The Razielhim have fallen from their former glory, and it is our job to eradicate them. They may have 'Evolved', and yet we have found we are their superiors in grace, appearance, strength, and intelligence. It is the survival of the fittest."
"Just go along with it, Thorin...and please, brother. You haven't fired a single shot, and I've been taking these brutes out of the sky all day." His brother muttered out of the corner of his mouth.
Thorin drew back slightly, appalled. They had only traveled a few hours from the Cathedral...and yet there was a distinct change. Machel had grown more and more zealous in this sudden quest, and Mikael was content to follow. And yet, there was something wrong with this.
Thorin's mind drifted back to a time, eons ago, when he and his brother had played carefree on the streets, playing, taking turns at being the noble Humans. But when the vampires had taken him and his sibling, he had learned that they truly were not the scum of Nosgoth. Well, most of them anyway. He was taught to trust his Clan, to distrust Humans...and to try and fellowship those of the other Vampire Clans. It had been Raziel's great plan...before their great leader had realized that their particular evolution would not be taken well. But killing these vampires of his own Clan, no matter how bestial they had become...it went against the strong, almost-family bonds that he had been taught kept them all away from each other's throats.
--------
The Rahabhim. Like their brothers, they too had evolved, but theirs had worked to their greatest advantage. None of the others dared touch them, for their domain was that of the water. Next to those wounds caused by flame and those by impaling, water was one of the most lethal weapons against the vampires.
And like the Razielhim, and the Turelhim, they had been the most noble of the Clans. Turel's children had split apart, to roam the empty lands and to guard well-hidden secrets...while Raziel's had not been seen since his apparent death. And the Rahabhim had retreated to the waters.
But it was not the entire Clan in general that we speak of. No, instead, it was a young fledgling, still unaccustomed to life as an amphibian vampire. She was the most beautiful of her people, the pride of Lord Rahab, and yet she hated it. Clara had been her Human name, and Clara was the name she kept, despite her brothers and sisters attempts to change it. With a streamlined form, curvaceous and yet not revealing, gray skin that was soft and yet thick, and a head that curved back into a strong flipper, she was best suited to life on land and in the water...her black eyes holding a gleam that the others did not possess. And it was this adaptability that led her to spend more of her time upon dry ground, to wander to the very boundaries of their home. To finally succeed where the others had failed.
To find the Razielhim.
* A/N: Wow! I never thought I'd get this out, and yet here it is! I am so very sorry for keeping you people waiting, and I hope DF has not lost what attracted all of you in the first place.
Wow, Fraxis is the big man on campus now, and his appearance is quite different from his kin. What could this mean? Well, I'll tell you. I've introduced two new characters, Karine and Clara, and yet what point do they have? What secrets do they hold? Well, I'll tell you. Thorin is quite the noble little fellow, and yet Machel and Mikael seem content to play vampire slayer. Why? I'll tell you.
When?! Later. Heh, heh, heh.
A/N: Wow. I never thought I'd be coming back to this story...ever. But there's nothing else to write. I try to start on other projects, but...this one just clouds my mind. I need to finish this story! 0.0;;
Anyway. Woo! Hope my fans aren't gone.
* * *
CHAPTER 6
The thick laughter echoed eerily off the stone walls of the oddly named palace, but no one received it with more annoyance hidden behind their returning grin than Karine. The almost impossibly beautiful vampiress, her golden eyes gleaming in the flickering torchlight, let her eyes wander over her rival. She smirked at him, his once-beautiful skin had grown gray and scaled...blemishing his image. He had forgotten the Trick. She, however, had retained her beauty with pride...her soft, bone-white skin and her thick, luxurious hair that fell to her waist, accenting her soft curves, and yet made more dominating by the presence of her yellowed wings...smaller than those of her brood. Her legs crossed, she allowed a smile to flicker across her bloodless lips, assuring the vampire before her that she was amused by his joke. But nothing could be farther from the truth. She was obsessed with her people's old ways, and her dress showed it; the most exquisite of those the glory days of the Razielhim had produced.
Burbor was just the opposite. He had allowed his wings to grow to the massive proportion his sons and daughters had gained, allowed his soft skin to grow thick and armored in what he thought were the places that needed the most protection. He was ugly, Karine decided, and with nothing but the unattractive around her, she despised him all the more for it. He was drunk, as well, only the finest wines taken from the Humans were allowed in Karine's court, and only those were enough to intoxicate the barbaric tribal leader.
"Another toast...to the great heritage of our people! The on'... Th' awn, the only Vamps to take to the skies!" He demanded, thrusting his goblet forward. Some of the foul liquid sloshed over the edge, ruining whatever sparse clothing he was wearing. Not that he looked as if he cared.
Karine drew the hem of her dress back in distaste, hoping to avoid staining the fabric...though it did reveal a good portion of her pale leg. The sudden smile on the male's face made her groan inwardly once more. But she pressed the rim of her goblet against her lips anyway, if only to make him believe she was as drunk as he.
"To Th'...the union of our tribes!" He shouted noisily, waving his goblet about him. More of the black drink spilled over him, not that he noticed. Karine sighed. She had already tired of putting up with this odiferous excuse for a vampire. Which was good, she supposed...it would not help her any had she become attracted to this man.
"Fraxis!" She suddenly exclaimed, startling Burbor into dropping his goblet. She snarled to herself...another mess on what was once a perfectly good floor. "Fraxis! Help the good man."
The giant Razielhim vampire gracefully stepped into the flickering light, a deadly gleam in his slit reptilian eyes. He was fully evolved, and yet more than that. A monster. While others among the Razielhim stopped at head ridges, scales, longer limbs and gigantic wings...Fraxis had grown in stature. His scaled were black, reflecting the light oddly. And the ridges were menacing spikes. A genetic oddity. And Karine's favorite...for, except for the eyes, his face was pale white, and had the look of the Old Razielhim. Her perfect bodyguard and assassin.
Without a word, the giant grabbed the suddenly sober male around the neck. With a slight pop and crackle of cartilage, dark blood gushed from the wound. An odd light gleamed in his eye as with his free hand, he grabbed the nearest torch, and non-chalantly set flame to the enraged, breathless tribe leader. And then he let go.
Karine grinned. For some odd reason, it was always a thrill to watch Fraxis work...especially when he killed her rivals. It took her breath away. The living torch, screaming wordlessly, fell flat on his face, and slowly dissolved into ash...but Karine could care less. Stepping over the remains, she traced a finger down the broad, scaly chest.
"Well done, Fraxis." She murmured, golden eyes meeting his red.
"Thank you, my Lady..." He replied, his oddly handsome features, framed by black scales, twisted into a grin.
------------
Another gigantic vampire dropped to the ground, struggling against the bolt that had suddenly bloomed from his chest, spraying black blood in every direction. With a wordless shriek, he dropped from the sky, his wings useless without the strength to work them...towards the rapidly growing figures below.
Thorin backed away, flinching in disgust as his uncle carelessly lopped off the fallen creature's head. Whether he was making sure the pitiful thing was truly dead, or for some other reason, the young boy was not sure, but this was the sixth one they had dispatched...and Machel had a gleam in his eye every time. Mikael seemed to be going along with it, not really appearing to care, casually reloading another deadly bolt into his crossbow...but Thorin could not help but feel soiled.
"Tell me again, Uncle. Why are we doing this?" Both the relative in question and his twin brother stared at him, as if he were mad.
An odd grin played across Machel's face. "These creatures are not vampires, Thorin. The Razielhim have fallen from their former glory, and it is our job to eradicate them. They may have 'Evolved', and yet we have found we are their superiors in grace, appearance, strength, and intelligence. It is the survival of the fittest."
"Just go along with it, Thorin...and please, brother. You haven't fired a single shot, and I've been taking these brutes out of the sky all day." His brother muttered out of the corner of his mouth.
Thorin drew back slightly, appalled. They had only traveled a few hours from the Cathedral...and yet there was a distinct change. Machel had grown more and more zealous in this sudden quest, and Mikael was content to follow. And yet, there was something wrong with this.
Thorin's mind drifted back to a time, eons ago, when he and his brother had played carefree on the streets, playing, taking turns at being the noble Humans. But when the vampires had taken him and his sibling, he had learned that they truly were not the scum of Nosgoth. Well, most of them anyway. He was taught to trust his Clan, to distrust Humans...and to try and fellowship those of the other Vampire Clans. It had been Raziel's great plan...before their great leader had realized that their particular evolution would not be taken well. But killing these vampires of his own Clan, no matter how bestial they had become...it went against the strong, almost-family bonds that he had been taught kept them all away from each other's throats.
--------
The Rahabhim. Like their brothers, they too had evolved, but theirs had worked to their greatest advantage. None of the others dared touch them, for their domain was that of the water. Next to those wounds caused by flame and those by impaling, water was one of the most lethal weapons against the vampires.
And like the Razielhim, and the Turelhim, they had been the most noble of the Clans. Turel's children had split apart, to roam the empty lands and to guard well-hidden secrets...while Raziel's had not been seen since his apparent death. And the Rahabhim had retreated to the waters.
But it was not the entire Clan in general that we speak of. No, instead, it was a young fledgling, still unaccustomed to life as an amphibian vampire. She was the most beautiful of her people, the pride of Lord Rahab, and yet she hated it. Clara had been her Human name, and Clara was the name she kept, despite her brothers and sisters attempts to change it. With a streamlined form, curvaceous and yet not revealing, gray skin that was soft and yet thick, and a head that curved back into a strong flipper, she was best suited to life on land and in the water...her black eyes holding a gleam that the others did not possess. And it was this adaptability that led her to spend more of her time upon dry ground, to wander to the very boundaries of their home. To finally succeed where the others had failed.
To find the Razielhim.
* A/N: Wow! I never thought I'd get this out, and yet here it is! I am so very sorry for keeping you people waiting, and I hope DF has not lost what attracted all of you in the first place.
Wow, Fraxis is the big man on campus now, and his appearance is quite different from his kin. What could this mean? Well, I'll tell you. I've introduced two new characters, Karine and Clara, and yet what point do they have? What secrets do they hold? Well, I'll tell you. Thorin is quite the noble little fellow, and yet Machel and Mikael seem content to play vampire slayer. Why? I'll tell you.
When?! Later. Heh, heh, heh.