C h a p t e r F i v e : D i s f i g u r a t i o n
Ortega still sat in the chair still brooding. He did remember Limelin by of attacks that he continuously had gone on in the past: a human village which had a sufficient population. He had heard rumors that some man-wolves had gone there in the past and had sealed their powers away as the Elders had commanded them to. They were to live harmoniously with the humans, which made Ortega sick. Maybe that was where Cornell was hiding. He would have to spy round a bit before doing any serious damage. He nodded to himself and felt confident about this. He would first do Dracula's bidding then get his powers. Ortega smiled, a smile that was only known to evil.
The door opened quietly and Ortega was broken out of his musings. He swivelled around in his chair to face the door. Even though there wasn't much light outside, his eyes had to adjust to the change.
A figure all dressed in black entered the room. Her dress shifted across the floor with small swishing sounds as she moved. Her hat had a long white plume arching back from it and on it were embroidered strange runes in red. Her stark white, almost grey, skin was with out a blemish or wrinkle. Her hair was pure white with out a single strand of color. It didn't even look like hair, it was a strange intangible mass. Her eyes were the strangest that he had ever seen yet. They were, without a doubt, a curious violet and when they flashed in the light, they seemed red. She carried a staff that was crooked at the end and had a blue jewel at the base of the crook.
She smiled at him. Of course, it wasn't a comforting smile, nor was it an evil smile. Beside her was Gil de Rais. Ortega stood and looked confusedly at the woman who still had that smile strangely plastered to her face "So...this is the Man-wolf?" De Rais did not look happy to have her around. It looked like as if he was in incessant pain and annoyance. "Yes..." He sighed "This is the man-wolf,"
"Ah," The woman moved towards him, black silk still swishing across the floor "Tis a bit dark in here..." she trailed off and closed her eyes. All the candles and torches in the room burst into flame then settled as being lit. Ortega jumped a bit, feeling that she was one of the rumored witches, ones with great powers. "Now," she began, her pasty white skin looking like a sheet of thin, stark-white paper in the flames "You have not made the pact yet...Am I correc-" Gills sighed ostentatiously "No he hasn't...he doesn't even know who you are," the witch turned and looked very irritated at de Rais. She calmed herself and turned back to Ortega "I am Actrice. A witch if you can guess...and by no means a Fernandez," the last part she hissed sounding like water falling onto a huge fire.
Ortega was curious, but did not ask. He looked into the woman's eyes. "I shall do what is necessary...tell me what I must do," The woman smiled again "Good. I see that he has listened to the dark lord-" She turned back and looked at de Rais, half annoyed, half amused "--for once," Gills sighed and ran a hand over his face "Enough talk, woman!" Actrice put on an innocent look that made her look like some brat and put on a syrupy voice. "Oh, Gills, darling, I know that already. Why don't I ask him?" Gills, even though his skin was so pale and lifeless, began to turn a sort of purple in the face. "No! I will ask him! That's what Lord Dracula wanted!" Actrice didn't falter once "But, darling. Shouldn't I be the one who will ask him? I mean really, you did that last time to your son--"
Ortega couldn't stand their bickering, back and forth about the silliest thing. He rolled his eyes and he stood up out of the chair and yelled "Stop! Stop this madness! Both of you!" They immediately silenced and looked at him. Ortega now felt uncomfortable that they were looking at him in such a way of surprise. Gills broke the silence then "Continue, Ortega. You must have something to say," and then he glared back at the witch who was steaming mad. Ortega continued "There is a town that I know of where a friend might be hiding..."
"Really?"
"Yes. The town of Limelin,"
Actrice's eyes widened "I-I had no idea that humans still lived there. Are you sure...?" Gills shook his head and his eyes flashed with anger "Oh come now, woman!! If the man-wolf is sure, he's sure!" Actrice's eyes began to turn a deep crimson then they turned back to their original violet, focusing on Ortega. "Then this is what the dark lord has asked, you must get something from this friend of yours, something important,"
Ortega nodded "He has a 'sister' that he holds dear to him," Gills looked confused "What do you mean by a 'sister'?" Ortega's memories slashed his mind again and he took a deep breath in before continuing "This girl he cares for because of his weakness for humans," he managed to keep control throughout the answer.
Gills nodded "Dracula has sent me enough skeletal warriors and tiger- daemons to aid you in your quest. You must attack this village called Limelin, and bring back the girl. If you must, kill anyone that stands in your path, burn and pillage any structures that are in your way, but by any cost you must bring back the girl,"
Gils exited, making a curt nod to Ortega of approval, but it seemed he couldn't stand to be in the presence of Actrice any longer. He hastened to leave, his quick steps reverberating across the marble flooring. Actrice stayed and gave her wicked smile; a smile that foreboded all evil creatures. "Meet me outside the villa...tonight, Man-Wolf. The army of the undead shall accompany you."
All Ortega could remember was nodding solemnly and then, with a swish of black silk, she was gone, leaving the contemplating Man-Wolf all by himself. He would execute this task, even if it did mean his own life, although, he didn't wish it would come to that. He wanted to face Cornell, full form, true power. Then, only then, would his bloodlust be satisfied. Ortega smiled ever so faintly as the sun began to make demure and debauchery-incensed shadows about his gaunt, but strong features. It begins, Ortega thought, It begins right now.
Ortega still sat in the chair still brooding. He did remember Limelin by of attacks that he continuously had gone on in the past: a human village which had a sufficient population. He had heard rumors that some man-wolves had gone there in the past and had sealed their powers away as the Elders had commanded them to. They were to live harmoniously with the humans, which made Ortega sick. Maybe that was where Cornell was hiding. He would have to spy round a bit before doing any serious damage. He nodded to himself and felt confident about this. He would first do Dracula's bidding then get his powers. Ortega smiled, a smile that was only known to evil.
The door opened quietly and Ortega was broken out of his musings. He swivelled around in his chair to face the door. Even though there wasn't much light outside, his eyes had to adjust to the change.
A figure all dressed in black entered the room. Her dress shifted across the floor with small swishing sounds as she moved. Her hat had a long white plume arching back from it and on it were embroidered strange runes in red. Her stark white, almost grey, skin was with out a blemish or wrinkle. Her hair was pure white with out a single strand of color. It didn't even look like hair, it was a strange intangible mass. Her eyes were the strangest that he had ever seen yet. They were, without a doubt, a curious violet and when they flashed in the light, they seemed red. She carried a staff that was crooked at the end and had a blue jewel at the base of the crook.
She smiled at him. Of course, it wasn't a comforting smile, nor was it an evil smile. Beside her was Gil de Rais. Ortega stood and looked confusedly at the woman who still had that smile strangely plastered to her face "So...this is the Man-wolf?" De Rais did not look happy to have her around. It looked like as if he was in incessant pain and annoyance. "Yes..." He sighed "This is the man-wolf,"
"Ah," The woman moved towards him, black silk still swishing across the floor "Tis a bit dark in here..." she trailed off and closed her eyes. All the candles and torches in the room burst into flame then settled as being lit. Ortega jumped a bit, feeling that she was one of the rumored witches, ones with great powers. "Now," she began, her pasty white skin looking like a sheet of thin, stark-white paper in the flames "You have not made the pact yet...Am I correc-" Gills sighed ostentatiously "No he hasn't...he doesn't even know who you are," the witch turned and looked very irritated at de Rais. She calmed herself and turned back to Ortega "I am Actrice. A witch if you can guess...and by no means a Fernandez," the last part she hissed sounding like water falling onto a huge fire.
Ortega was curious, but did not ask. He looked into the woman's eyes. "I shall do what is necessary...tell me what I must do," The woman smiled again "Good. I see that he has listened to the dark lord-" She turned back and looked at de Rais, half annoyed, half amused "--for once," Gills sighed and ran a hand over his face "Enough talk, woman!" Actrice put on an innocent look that made her look like some brat and put on a syrupy voice. "Oh, Gills, darling, I know that already. Why don't I ask him?" Gills, even though his skin was so pale and lifeless, began to turn a sort of purple in the face. "No! I will ask him! That's what Lord Dracula wanted!" Actrice didn't falter once "But, darling. Shouldn't I be the one who will ask him? I mean really, you did that last time to your son--"
Ortega couldn't stand their bickering, back and forth about the silliest thing. He rolled his eyes and he stood up out of the chair and yelled "Stop! Stop this madness! Both of you!" They immediately silenced and looked at him. Ortega now felt uncomfortable that they were looking at him in such a way of surprise. Gills broke the silence then "Continue, Ortega. You must have something to say," and then he glared back at the witch who was steaming mad. Ortega continued "There is a town that I know of where a friend might be hiding..."
"Really?"
"Yes. The town of Limelin,"
Actrice's eyes widened "I-I had no idea that humans still lived there. Are you sure...?" Gills shook his head and his eyes flashed with anger "Oh come now, woman!! If the man-wolf is sure, he's sure!" Actrice's eyes began to turn a deep crimson then they turned back to their original violet, focusing on Ortega. "Then this is what the dark lord has asked, you must get something from this friend of yours, something important,"
Ortega nodded "He has a 'sister' that he holds dear to him," Gills looked confused "What do you mean by a 'sister'?" Ortega's memories slashed his mind again and he took a deep breath in before continuing "This girl he cares for because of his weakness for humans," he managed to keep control throughout the answer.
Gills nodded "Dracula has sent me enough skeletal warriors and tiger- daemons to aid you in your quest. You must attack this village called Limelin, and bring back the girl. If you must, kill anyone that stands in your path, burn and pillage any structures that are in your way, but by any cost you must bring back the girl,"
Gils exited, making a curt nod to Ortega of approval, but it seemed he couldn't stand to be in the presence of Actrice any longer. He hastened to leave, his quick steps reverberating across the marble flooring. Actrice stayed and gave her wicked smile; a smile that foreboded all evil creatures. "Meet me outside the villa...tonight, Man-Wolf. The army of the undead shall accompany you."
All Ortega could remember was nodding solemnly and then, with a swish of black silk, she was gone, leaving the contemplating Man-Wolf all by himself. He would execute this task, even if it did mean his own life, although, he didn't wish it would come to that. He wanted to face Cornell, full form, true power. Then, only then, would his bloodlust be satisfied. Ortega smiled ever so faintly as the sun began to make demure and debauchery-incensed shadows about his gaunt, but strong features. It begins, Ortega thought, It begins right now.
