Chapter two ; When lizards dance

It was already a considerable while and she needed to feed. Since the vampires were mostly nocturnal, a large part of the servants was asleep at day time, to be there for them during the night, but there were still those who performed daily activities. A few of those answered her call and entered her quarters in an orderly fashion. They all had clean and washed clothing, and like all the servants, they bore a small dagger, to cut their vanes open and pore their blood out for the taste of their masters. One female spoke for the rest of the group :

" Yes, mistress. We are here to serve you. "

" Have… have you gave blood recently ?"; Adella asked with water rushing to her mouth at the smell of their blood.

" We were waiting for you, mistress. My vanes are opened to you. "

Adella came to her with dangling fangs and big eyes full of appetite and once she kneeled before her, her claw made a slice on the woman's wrist and she begun sucking the sweet fluids out of her arm. The servant woman closed her eyes and started to loose her self in sensual pleasures of Adella's kiss while the others took their daggers and cutting their wrists, pored their blood in Adella's goblet. The woman Adella was feeding upon started to sigh like in the arms of a lower while the others came around to help her after Adella would relies her. They were all charmed to receive great pleasure and satisfaction during feeding, and those of them that watched couldn't help but feel envy for the so called lucky ones. Each of Adella's children had his favored servant to personally feed upon him every now and than, but all of the servants were a common possession and they occasionally shifted from hand to hand. The woman started to breathe heavily, and Adella had to let her go not to kill her. The others treated her wrist and helped her exhausted body as she walked away muttering the words "thank you" on her smiled lips.

Once she received her nourishment, Adella started examining the story that Kain had left her.

It spoke of a man who had a secret. He could talk with animals. But if he would to tell anyone about his gift he would die on the spot. Using this ability he managed to acquire great wealth and gain the hand of the woman he loved, but one day his horse said something funny and he laughed out loud right in front of his wife. From that moment on she wouldn't let him rest, but constantly asking him what was so funny. The rest of the story was torn away.

And than she realized what that story was telling ; Secrets are a burden, the grater the secret, the grater is the need to share it. Her father won't be able to keep her hidden. But what could she do ? She couldn't just go to him and hypnotize him to forget. After all he was her father. Maybe if she would talk to him again, she could strengthen him to endure. That seemed like the best course of action.

Putting a guise upon her self she left on the bright day outside and swiftly paced on towards her old home. Birds and animals came out drawn by the light of the day, but they would swiftly run away before her as she paced by. Lost in her thoughts she hardly noticed any of these small creatures, until she went deeper into the woods, and a sudden silence made her pay attention. Everything was quiet around her. There were no birds above or rodents in the grass or any other animals around. Just a bunch of ants swarming over a nearby tree bark. The scenery puzzled her. Animals were afraid of a vampire, but they would instinctively hide near by rather than try to flee, and at this place, where there should be plenty of them, there was none. Something was wrong. With its slow progress, fear begun to clench her heart and she knew she has to get out of there quickly.

She turned back and found her self face to face with a frightening lizard-like creature. It stood on its back legs and was cowered in bronze scales. From its appearance it seemed to be mail and he seemed to be intelligent. He was clearly waiting in ambush and now his serpent eyes were upon her. But she didn't run. The illusion dispersed revealing her claws and fangs and she hissed at the lizard-man malignantly :

" Lizard or iguana or what ever you are, leave from my path or taste my razors !"

" Are you the one they call Adella ? Hsss !"; he flipped his tail over the ground

" Who wants to know ?"

" My massster, who sssent me for her. Are you sssshe ?"

" I am !"

" Ssss ! Than, you will come with me ! Hsss !"

" First I want to know who your master is !"

" Lord Jaren Sssal, the mighty !"

" Tell him that if he wishes to speak with me, he should make an appointment !"

" Hsss ! I wasss hoping for thisss kind of anssswer. "

He jumped at her so fast she could barely move away and his scaled claws scratched her side quite deep making her scream. But as she fell aside she saw her pretty blouse torn and stained with her blood, and her angry look fell on him :

" You've done it now !"

She ran at him and her claws rushed for his gut but he was too fast and was able to dodge her easily. With the next punch he tossed her several meters away and she fell on a tree with her back. The lizard laughed wickedly hissing trough his large mouth but before he approached she jumped in the air and vanished before she landed back on the ground. She didn't escape. She only hid from his sight under a veil of invisibility, and than started to circle around him. He wasn't without his means of tracking. Razing his chin up, he unleashed his long fork-like tongue out of his mouth and started using it to catch her sent. But she still had the advantage in the situation, since the creature obviously didn't have good hearing. She sneaked up behind him and strike at him. He turned as her claws swished trough the air, but this time he wasn't fast enough and her nails scratched him deep over his side and stomach. His back were cowered with strong scales, but his front was soft and her claws easily gut trough it. Jumping away, he tossed her his angry look, while she stood on the spot smiling at him malignantly and licking her claws cowered in his blood. It tasted revoltingly to her but she was just making the impression. But than he simply smiled back and stood up exposing his wounds that started to shrink and instantly vanish without a trace. Before she could come to he grabbed her and started squeezing. He was a lot stronger than her and she couldn't take much more of it, but than she firmly looked in his serpent's eyes and forced her hypnotic magic upon him. For a while he managed to resist her, but his mind was not as sharp as hers and as soon as she bypassed his anger he was unable to look away from her pretty silver-blue eyes.

" …Sssstop that !... Reliesss me !"

" You first !"; she ordered him

His arms shivered and loosened the grip but he still struggled to hold her down :

" You can't… manipulate me !"

" Seems to me I already do… Unchain your hug… let your arms slide aside… "

He couldn't control him self any more and his arms obeyed on their own. She smiled at him and drew closer to his face. Little by little she invaded his mind and forced him to unlock his defenses before her. Finally she brought him deep under her will and than she told him :

" I ask and you answer ! What does this Jaren Sal want from me ?"

The lizard's jaw shivered with his last wimps of struggle, but the next moment the words came poring out :

" …Capture… To capture you… Hsss !"

" Why ?"; she asked like a little girl playing with her doll

" To… ussse… Hsss !"

" To use who ? Me ?"

" … To… ussse… lure… "

Suddenly another claw swung towards Adella. Fortunately she heard it and jumped away before it caught her, but this broke her hold of magic and the lizard man started to come to. She looked at her attacker and realized he was the same species as the first one, except he had green spots over his scaled back. Now the situation started to look bad. She could only deal with one at the time, but not both of them together. So she cast her invisibility again and started fleeing, while the new comer was shacking his comrade to restore him faster. Soon after they were both on her trail, but she managed to reach the edge of the forest and the road just over a long grassy field that separated the woods from the highway. Casting her guise illusion she became a woman of irresistible beauty and thus clocked, she ran on the road. One brown hover-car stopped in front of her. The driver was alone in the vehicle and obviously drawn by her beauty. As the car stopped, the man opened the side window and after hungrily observing a most attractive woman he asked :

" Do you need assistance miss… ?"

Suddenly two lizard-like creatures emerged out of the woods.

" What the… "

Before he knew it she already entered his car and looked at his eyes :

" Drive fast ! Now !"

Just one short gaze at those huge sapphire-eyes and he was already poring the maximum power in the main motor. Adella watched the two reptiles chase after them, but in the end they were left in a cloud of dust. The only thing they caught was her good by wave trough the back window.

She kicked back and started to wonder about these creatures. While she invaded the mind of the first one she found it seeded with stronger logic but his lore and experience were very weak. He was a youngling, recently hatched or something. But if the young one was that strong enemy, what do they become when they grow up ! How many of them are there ? Where did they come from ?

" Calmly… "; she said to her self :"One question at a time… "

These creatures weren't residents of Nosgoth, so they had to come from some other realm. It must mean that the Hylden have something to do with all this. These young ones were obviously Nosgoth-bourn, and the main one that spawned them must be this Jaren Sal. One thing she was sure of. This was way too much for her to handle alone. But before she released her whisper she was interrupted by a bonking sound and a loud swearing of the driver in the passing car. They were still running like mad all over the road and have hit his car speeding by them.

" Hey ! Take it easy now !"; she said to him

" … yeas… of course… "

As the car slowed down she tried to reach Kain, but there was no answer. This disturbed her. He wouldn't refuse her in a time such as this, when all the children were in danger. And than she realized ; the lizards will go after the vampires. She instantly reached in touch with Velako :

" …Velako… Hear me, my child. "

" Mistress… Adella ? What is your wish ?"

" I'm sorry I woke you, but time is against us. Take the Sumnali down the escape root and go to my brother Tarian. The Tergetti house must give us sanctuary !"

" Sanctuary from the Fire-lords ? But what about the servants ?"

" Bring the servants with you, but take care of them. Protect them from Tergetti. They will be tempted by fresh meet… Go quickly. I shall inform my brother that you are coming. "

She than got in touch with Tarian. Explaining the situation, she asked him to invite their sister Jasmine and her house Zantara as well, for any of them was a potential target. Fortunately, Tergetti had made them selves a strong home in the mountains and it had a lot of room to welcome the others. Tarian him self expressed a certain discomfort about being forced to welcome Sumnali and Zantara houses. The tree clans didn't have such good relations and were more like political opponents than allies, constantly arguing about their methods. Adella's house was the most merciful, next to Tergetti who could be quite cruel even to their fellow vampires, and Jasmine stood somewhere in between, applying certain measure of brutality as she saw fit. But since he himself couldn't get in touch with Kain, Tarian had no choice but to agree. He was even more disturbed when he found out that Adella's servants will be joining them, but eventually he approved, since they couldn't leave them behind to tell the lizards where they went, and there was no time to silence them permanently.

After she concluded these negotiations she relaxed in her seat, having the feeling she managed to arm her self against the coming storm. Her family was safe and… Her family !

" Turn the car around !"

" … What… ?"

She grabbed his collar and dragged him to her frightening face :

" Turn… the car… around !"; she said trough her teeth

Her sudden angry fangs glittered before him and now he didn't obey her because of her spells but out of fear, an urge much stronger than any magic. In that moment, a car-phone buzzed with a call, but she just ripped it out of the panel and filled with rage tossed it out the window. And than she realized what she does to him. The man was terrified, and suddenly as she looked at him she felt like a monster. It was a revolting realization that left her grieved and shaken, and she couldn't think of anything to improve the situation. She just turned away ashamed and embarrassed.

After a short drive they've reached the exit from the highway and passed on the dirt-beaten road to the farmlands. Passing by the naked fruit trees and crops, they swiftly reached her old home… or what was left of it…

The yard was burning on various places. The garden was destroyed, trees were torn down and the house was all broken and mangled with shattered windows and numerous claw-marks over its walls. It was obvious that the lizards were the ones that did this, since their claw marks were clearly recognizable on the blue facade. Upon seeing this scene she broke the dour open and started slowly pacing over remains of her former yard, shaking and lumbering drunk with grief. Before she reached half way she fell on her knees and screamed with pain and despair. The man in the car obviously got a hold of him self and rushed away as fast as he could, but she couldn't care less about him. Not in this dark hover. They took them. They've killed her family. If only she realized this sooner, she could have saved them, but she was thinking on her vampires first, and a mighty sense of disgust of her species came to her so strong she wanted to vomit all the blood she had ever drank.

But she couldn't just accept them for dead. Not yet, and with this taught her strength returned and she started searching for their sent, or anything of them. There was very little spilled blood there. Just a few drops like from cuts or other minor injuries, so they were clearly taken alive and it gave her hope. But suddenly, right in the middle of her scanning, she heard a human heart-beet approaching from the woods. She instantly hid in the shade and faded away from the light, but the person who came fort was in fact her father. Fortunately, he was unharmed, obviously away while this horror took place, but with terrible pain in his heart even before he got out of the woods. He already expected something like this. She didn't get out of her hiding at once, though tempted, but she had a taught that someone might be following him, so she restrained her desires and waited for a few minutes. She watched him as he stopped running, than slowly approached with his shock clearly visible, and finally burst in tears and cry. She couldn't take it any more. She cared not who will find her now, she had to give him some comfort.

" … Daddy… "; she spoke softly like a frightened child

As he turned and find her there in the shades, he stood up unpleasantly surprised :

" I had hoped it wasn't you… "

" … I'm sorry… I wasn't fast enough… I just wasn't… "

He wiped his tears of and coldly asked :

" Did they cry… before you killed them ?"

She was shocked :

" …What ! You think I… did this ?"

" Seeing you here is the proof enough. "

Her heart begun to tore :

" … I… It wasn't me… you… must believe… "

" Than what are you doing here !"; he screamed at her and she sobbed

" I came here to prevent this ! But I couldn't… I wasn't… "

He shut his eyes and turned his head from her revolted by her vision :

" Get out of my sight !"; he said silently trough his teeth

" Daddy… "

" Be gone… before I get hold of my gun !"

These words broke her and with a shower from her eyes she ran away into the depths of the woods. She didn't know how long or far she ran. She just couldn't do anything else but running. Finally she hit a tree, but didn't fall down. She just ran into it and stabbing her claws in it, poring the river of tears over its bark. Her body slid down and her claws made long pale scratches over the wood that filled them selves with this newly spilt water over their surface.

" It hurts, doesn't it ?"

She turned to the source of the voice. It was Kain. His clothing was torn in many places and he was all cowered in blood but he seemed satisfied about something. The reaver was in his arm flashing with energy and its light was dancing like a happy moon upon clear water caught in a breeze.

" Perhaps next time you will listen to my advice. "; he tossed her

As she saw his arrogant smile, rage exploded inside her and she screamed at him :

" Where were you, you bastard ! Why didn't you stop them ! Why didn't you do something !"

The smile suddenly vanished from his face and he had to pool a fraction of his attention to block the first few of her attacks before slugging her to the ground :

" I'll ignore that most inappropriate outburst, this time… You might want to pay a closer attention ! What do you think I was doing for the past few hovers ?"

" …they took them… and you weren't there !"

" And nether were you. "; he said coldly :" But go ahead and blame me. It's not like you have better things to do !"

The anger in her finally subsided and she begun to analyze the situation :

" The lizards… have you ewer seen them before ?"; she asked him

" Not before last night. "

" You mean, you knew about this last night !"

" I received certain… vibes during my meditation. Something has entered Nosgoth… something new and dangerous. You did well to move the others to Tergetti sanctum. None of you is safe at this point. "

" What about my family ? We have to go and find them !"

" What you will do is to go to your brother Tarian and stay with him until I contact you. "

" No ! I won't just leave… "

" This is not a request, Adella !"; his shadow suddenly fell upon her and she gained the sense of being smaller than a grain :" By my will or yours, you WILL go to safety !... Please !"

She bowed her eyes and nodded. He razed his face up looking at her like judging her, and than he spoke in that comforting fatherly tone :

" If I find them, I'll bring them back to you, but you must protect your self. There is nothing else you can do. "

He placed the reaver on his back and dispersed in a horde of black bats, but as soon as he was gone, she looked at the sky with angry determination and spoke to her self :

" There is nothing else I can do, but I must try !"