I knew why I had been summoned to the chambers of Lord Sebastian, the ruler of the Industrial Quarters of Meridian. It was not because I was an upstart worker; I was but had never been told to keep quiet before. It was not because sometimes I did not listen to the foreman and continued to oil the machines when they did not need it anymore; it was not even because sometimes I would enter into a restricted zone and get thrown out by the guards. No, the real reason I had been called for this interview with Sebastian was because I had the unfortunate luck to learn his true nature.
He was a vampire.
I had been coming home to the Lower City late at night after walking my best friend Maria to her house; I had to hurry or else the Sarafan would lock the gates and I would be out on the street for the night. Running quickly down the main avenue, I passed through one Glyph gate and the next all the while waving my pass to the Sarafan so they wouldn't chase me down and make me late. Suddenly a horrible alarm began to blare in the twilight and I froze, thinking that I had set off some sort of system. I didn't want to be delayed coming home, so what I did was quickly duck down a side alley and watched a whole group of heavily armoured Sarafan, being led by one of the Glyph knights, run past. They looked tense, their weapons were drawn and they were moving as quickly as their legs could carry them.
The alarm was still blaring when I cautiously looked both ways on the street from my hiding place; seeing no one in sight I ducked down the road as quickly as my booted feet could carry me towards the subway and home. The gate that leads into the square where the subway was located was wide open. I found it peculiar because there was always some guard posted in front of it, but I raced right through without being challenged.
That was when I saw the scene of carnage in front of me.
I didn't know if the bodies, which had been horribly ripped into pieces, belonged to the Sarafan patrol from before, but I could make out some bodies that belonged to civilians. Blood was slick on the ground and flesh that had been shredded clung to the trees, waving slightly in the breeze that had suddenly kicked up. My legs nearly buckled out from under me; I grabbed the wall for support as my breathing came in ragged gasps, one gloved hand pressed over my mouth to keep any food from adding to the already disgusting view. My eyes watered and my whole body shook. For a girl of twenty to see what she was seeing in front of her was not easy. I could not help but think of the poor people who would not be coming home tonight. My next thought was who or what had been able to do something like this.
The sound of boots quickly running on the cobblestones made me come out of my trance quickly. I pushed myself to my feet quickly and forced them to move, one in front of the other. I needed to get out of here and I needed to hide. What would happen to me if the killer were still around? There would be no way that I would share this fate. I ducked down another side street, my back pressed up against the wall as I crouched down behind a water barrel, my hands covering my face. From where I was concealed, one could see the whole bloody display but not be seen by anyone else, or so I had thought. The footsteps came ever closer, now accompanied with the sounds of another person close behind. I had shut my eyes and covered my face but for some reason I was compelled to watch what was about to happen in front of me. Bringing my hands down to my lap, I opened my eyes and looked at what was about to happen.
A man in his middle years came out from another side street like the one I was hiding in, his face pale and panicked. Every movement he made was erratic; he looked one way and then the other, his feet moving but not making up their mind on where to go. He suddenly turned around and screamed, falling back onto the cobblestones. A cloaked figure emerged from the shadows and stood over that poor man, who was trying to crawl away on his hands and knees as quickly as possible. The shadowed figure gave a harsh laugh and picked up the man with careless ease, holding him high above his head.
The civilian screamed as the cloaked man cut him somewhere, but the next thing I saw was blood flowing down the man's clothing and the cloaked figure drinking the liquid! I nearly threw everything up right then and there. My breathing had once again become ragged and I felt myself shake all over. A vampire, there was a vampire here in the Lower City. In the silence all I could hear was the nauseating sound of blood being drunk and further off, the alarm from the Sarafan quarters still ringing. The man stopped his struggling and hung limp; the vampire tossed the body aside with more strength that I ever thought possible. I muffled a scream in my hands as one piece of the body, which had broken apart upon impact, rolled towards my hiding spot. I thought I had been quiet, but obviously the Fates were against me. The vampire turned in my direction, still wiping blood from his face.
It was Lord Sebastian of the Industrial Sector, the place where I worked at. I had only seen him once or twice in passing, always looking down at us workers from a high vantage point, but anyone could have noticed him with ease. His cruel gray eyes stared straight back into mine and he took a step towards me, filled with menace. The only thought that was going through my mind was that I was going to die and I wasn't prepared for it. But he stopped suddenly and looked off to his right; I took that moment to rise shakily from my hiding place and stumble down the side street, deeper into the alleys and the twists and turns that came with it. I did not know if I was being followed or not by this creature of the night, but I ran for all I was worth once I was back on the main avenue and headed for the subway. I imagined those wicked claws in my back, tearing at my flesh and Sebastian drinking my blood like he had to that poor man back there. But I was not pursued.
I managed to catch the last train, collapsing in one of the wooden seats in the most crowded compartment that I could find. At that moment I wanted as many people around me as possible. I got home and walked upstairs with a blank expression on my face; my elderly mother called to me but I did not hear her. My mind was still replaying what I had seen, what I had witnessed. I knew that if I went back to work the next day I would most likely die; but if I did not go back then there would be no money to buy my mother the food or medicine she needed to stay alive. I was our only source of income. So I had to go back to work, which I did, and hoped that Lord Sebastian thought that I had been a street urchin or someone who had the unfortunate luck to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But once again the Fates conspired against me. During the last hour of my shift, moving boxes from one place to another with the other women, two guards approached me.
"You Ria," one asked. All the women working stopped, their eyes looking at me. I was the youngest in the whole group, dressed as they were dressed in the heavy leather aprons of chemists and packers, hair tied back in a simple kerchief, my black dress patched and mended as theirs had been time and time again. In every way I thought I looked similar to them, but now that was obviously proven to be wrong.
"Yes, I am," I answered respectfully. The second guard grabbed onto my forearm with a grip like steel.
"Come with us. You're in trouble, missy." As the other women talked amongst themselves, I was rudely pulled along between the two guards, allowed only to quickly pull off my gloves and apron before being escorted away. I kept my eyes on the ground and tried to hold back the panic that was quickly rising up again. This is the end, I thought. I'll be taken out into a back alley and killed, my body thrown to the dogs. I only hoped that my mother would not cry when she heard this had happened to me, that her heart would not break. Dragged down long halls of iron and across grates where the water that assisted the forges flowed under, I was brought to the main factory and pushed into an elevator, the guards still beside me all the way. One looked at me with an expression of pity as the lift started up, rising to the higher levels. After it rose as high as it would go, I was unceremoniously shoved out in front of them onto a dark landing. To my surprise the men in the lift did not get off with me, but simply pulled the lever and went back down, leaving me alone, but not after telling me to follow the torches along the wall all the way down to the end, then head right after that
I did not know what to do; I was so scared. One side of me wanted to collapse there and begin weeping, but another side of me told me to remain strong and follow the directions. I did and wound up inside this darkened chamber, the massive iron doors closing behind me with a resounding boom. The only thing that really scared me was the sound of a lock clicking behind me; the doors were locked and I was trapped. I only hoped that if Lord Sebastian was here, that he would come out quickly and end my life. In the distance I could hear the whistle from the last shift blow; the workday was over.
"Are you afraid," a cold voice spoke from behind me. I whirled about quickly and looked straight into the face of Sebastian. Up close I could easily see now the paleness of his skin, the bizarre colour in his eyes, his sharp talons and the way he held himself when he walked around me. I lowered my gaze to the floor and tried not to shiver.
"Yes."
"You saw me last night, little girl, when I was feeding. You run quite fast for a human, but I would have followed and killed you had I not been occupied with other, more pressing matters. But it matters not now. You are Ria, correct?"
"Yes Lord Sebastian," I said again, my voice now nothing more than a choked whisper. I felt one of his hands rest heavily on my shoulder, felt him dig his claws through the dress' material and into my skin.
"You know what will happen now, little Ria. You saw me for what I am and for that I must have your silence. And I will have it." His other hand now rested on my other shoulder; I resisted the urge to pull away from him. My shivering still continued and in the silence of the room one could easily hear my breathing. "But I need to know, human; have you told anyone of what you had seen last night, hmm?" I could only shake my head. "Well, that is good. One less thing for me to worry about."
"Please, I will not tell anyone, Lord Sebastian. You have my silence; I swear it. I will not tell one living soul for as long as I live. I swear by the Pillars of Nosgoth."
Sebastian chuckled as he turned me around to face him. His visage was so cruel; his face was narrow and angular, black hair slicked back and eyes looking so vindictive. I noticed for the first time that his ears were pointed. "You and I both know that is not possible, Ria. Humans like to talk and sometimes something can just slip out, even when you do not mean it. I will have your silence, Ria, you know that." He traced one claw down my cheek; this time I did pull away and closed my eyes.
"If you are going to kill me then please do it quickly. I don't want any pain."
"Why would such a beautiful girl as you be worried about such things," he hissed in my ear. Sebastian fingered my short and curly blonde hair and undid the handkerchief that held it in place. "I have plans for you, Ria, and I will act on them. You know that. I have enough strength to bring down ten men at once so what I think you should be worried about is what I am going to do to you right now."
My breath caught in my throat and I snapped my eyes open. Lord Sebastian was closer to me that I would have liked, but the look on his face and the way he gazed at my body suddenly made me grow cold. "No," I begged, "please no. Lord Sebastian, I beg you please do not disgrace me so! Just kill me!"
"You are in no place to beg," came the vampire's reply.
He grabbed my arms and pinned them to my side, then forcefully dragged me over to a side of the darkened room. He shoved me down and I fell backwards onto a bed; Sebastian crawled over me and grabbed my wrists with one hand, pinning my arms above my head. Lust filled his eyes as he looked over my figure. I tried to kick out at him but he simply pinned me down with his legs; I writhed and tried to move but it was useless. No matter how much I tried I could not break free of this monster. I felt my energy drain away from me. My breathing came in huge heaves; I closed my eyes and turned my face away. I did not want to witness what would happen to me next, I did not want to see Sebastian.
"Stopped fighting already?" I detected a note of wry amusement in his cold voice.
"What would be the point," I choked out. "You are stronger than me, more powerful than I am. Just do what you have to do and kill me." I could not hold back a few tears that began to trickle down my face; my eyes were still closed. I could hear his breathing in the darkness and felt him lean forwards; I was pressed back into the mattress. It was strange, but in those few moments I became more aware of my surroundings than ever before. The sheets were of silk and cool to the touch, the pillows that supported my head were plump and feathery, also covered in silk. The bed creaked slightly in the darkness and I felt Sebastian's breath against my right cheek.
"That is a smart thing to do," Sebastian whispered, "but I expected a little bit more sport from someone as young and vital as you."
"Sorry to disappoint you," I muttered, more tears coming down my cheeks. For a few moments, nothing happened. Then I felt the pressure on my arms fall away as well as on my legs. I could move them again if I wanted to, but I stayed perfectly still. I would not thrash around like a fish out of water; I wanted to die at least with some dignity. I felt Sebastian run his hands along the front of my dress, then suddenly tear at the cloth, the sound incredibly loud in the dark. One of his cold hands pressed against my right breast quite suddenly and gave it a hard squeeze, his claws pricking into my flesh. Sebastian's other hand moved to my left breast and gave it the same rough treatment. He raked his claws over my chest completely, and then splayed his hands over my breasts entirely. I opened one of my eyes slightly to look at him; lust filled his eyes and his mouth was opened slightly. The vampire lowered his face down over my chest and took one of the nipples into his mouth, tongue lashing against the soft flesh. He groped my other breast and in spite of myself I gave a slight moan. I was scared more at that moment than I had ever been in my entire life, but my body did not seem to care. It only responded to the touch of Sebastian, who was now raking both of his hands over my chest and shoulders. He looked at me and gave a lustful smile.
"You might not like this, but then I do not care. Your silence is all I care for and giving myself what I want, Ria." Sebastian raised himself up and ripped off my skirt and underpants at the same time; the coldness in the room that I had not sensed before now made my flesh goose bump and I curled myself up into a ball, ashamed now beyond all belief. My tears now flowed freely, but I did not make a noise. Lord Sebastian moved behind me and I felt his rough and cruel claws on my back. The vampire raked them over my flesh, just enough to break the skin and cause blood to flow, but nothing serious enough that would endanger my life. Suddenly I was rolled over and faced him; Sebastian's face was only few inches from mine.
"Crying and not making a sound, Ria? Indeed you are a little different from the other humans I have had the pleasure to torment. Not like this, believe me dear, but all the same…" He moved away from me and pulled the white tunic he wore over his head and cast it onto the ground. Sebastian did the same with his pants where I noticed the unmistakable bulge of his groin. In fact I could not look away from that particular point on his body after had completely undressed and crawled back onto the bed beside me. Already Sebastian was fully aroused and I suppose I made some sort of whimpering sound, for he looked at me and leered. He ran a pale hand over my thigh quickly, seeking to touch my womanhood. "Open yourself to me."
I did not. I was curled up in a fetal position and would not move; indeed I was frozen from the shock of everything that was happening to me. With a low growl Sebastian moved down to my legs and with his strength pulled them open, placing himself between them so I could not close my legs again. I felt one of his cold hands touch my slick opening, moving up and down the flesh with deliberate slowness, watching my reaction.
"I did not know you were on your courses," he whispered in the night. His hand came away slick with my blood and he showed it to me. "Little Ria, you have unknowingly saved yourself this evening. I need not kill you to feed on you now." To my disgust but to Sebastian's apparent delight, he licked the blood from my courses off of his hands, seemingly savouring the flavour. My hands were balled into fists, I was shaking all over as I watched him bow his head between my legs and begin to 'feed' there. The feeling of his tongue against the folds of my womanhood aroused me even if I did not wish to become aroused; he kissed and licked as the sides then nibbled at the small bud where all pleasure came from. I arched my back and gave a small gasp; Sebastian's hands moved along the outside of my thighs, coaxing me to open myself up to him even more. He continued to drink my blood down there and at the same time giving me agonizing pleasure that I did not want. I grasped onto the sheets of the bed as something began to build up inside of me, something that needed to be released. Against everything I had told myself not to do, I began to moan softly and writhe about on the bed as Sebastian's tongue continued its work.
Suddenly such a powerful feeling it was if a dam had broken flooded through me. I gave an ear-piercing shriek and literally arched completely off the bed; I was held back from falling off completely by Sebastian, who had raised his head to look at me. For the next few moments all I could do was bask in this euphoria, this drug that was pounding through my system. Then I came back to myself and realized what I had just done, what Sebastian had just done to me. Blood covered his lips and he wiped it off with the back of his hand while giving me another one of those lust-filled smiles.
"You liked that, did you not? Well Ria, that is all the pleasure you will be getting tonight; now it is my turn." Quicker than I thought possible, Sebastian had pulled my legs up and over his torso and straddled me. He dug his claws into my skin, hands splayed wide and shoved into me roughly. I cried out in pain, the sheer pain. I closed my eyes and turned my head away as Sebastian, this undead creature, pushed himself in and out of me, growling like some beast. His hoarse cries filled the chamber and he moved faster and faster until he was slamming his manhood into me as deeply as he possibly could. I cried out too, not from the pleasure that had filled me only moments before but from the pain. I begged Sebastian to stop but he did not hear me. His claws ran over my breasts and legs; blood fell onto the sheets and all I could do was try and not scream.
Suddenly Sebastian grabbed me and hugged me close as shudders wracked his pale form; with a throaty shout he emptied his seed into me, bringing his mouth down on my shoulder and sinking his fangs into my flesh.
More blood flowed and he fed off of my life's force.
The shudders receded but Sebastian still held me close; his breathing was quick and hoarse as he rested his head on my wounded shoulder. Suddenly he fell onto me, bearing me back into the mattress and resting on top of me. In the stillness of the room I could hear my own heart beating fast, as I was sure Sebastian could. His cold eyes, now no longer filled with lust, regarded me with freezing calculation.
"Ria…Ria," he panted, resting his head on my chest. I bit my lip as the scratches and cuts he had given me began to make their presence known. "You will stay here tonight, Ria. Stay here tonight with me. You have satisfied my hunger and my lust and I should thank you for that, little Ria." I hated the way Sebastian was saying my name, like he had already known me for a long time. With a slight groan the vampire pulled himself out of me; a new flash of pain came to me down there. Sebastian chuckled as he lit a candle and looked at the mess that the bed was. The sheets themselves had come undone, in some cases had been torn apart, and my blood was spattered along the linen. I was spread-eagle, no longer caring if I was not hidden from his view. The vampire lord of the Industrial Sector leaned over my face and roughly kissed me on the lips.
"I trust you will be silent now, Ria."
All I could do was nod my head, fresh tears spilling over my face.
"Good. Wait here and I will come back with some bandages for you. I have forgotten how weak and delicate human bodies can be, especially when there is a vampire in the throes of passion nearby." He got off the bed and moved into the darkness, leaving the candle burning on a stand beside me.
What did I feel?
What was going through my mind in those brief moments?
Absolutely nothing.
Sebastian returned with surprising quickness; I cannot remember everything that happened, only that I know he did clean my wounds with unnatural tenderness considering the act he had just committed and then dressed me in a large tunic, the cloth coming just past my knees. Then Sebastian carried me into another room, dark like the last, and set me down on a soft bed, pulling the covers over me.
I was still crying the whole time, silent sobs choking in my throat. "Why-why not…kill me to en-ensure I do not t-talk?"
"Because that is no longer needed, Ria. You will be silent now, dear girl. Sleep now. I will be back so…" Sebastian did not finish what he was going to say. My eyelids felt heavier than they had before and I found myself drifting in and out of the waking world. The last thing I remembered was seeing the vampire's face in front of me with an expression that I could not fathom.
Had I known what would have been in store for me come tomorrow and the days after, I would of killed myself. But I did not know, and all I wanted to do was sleep and try to forget what had just happened to me, try and erase from my mind this pain in the darkness.