Something in Common
By The Unseen Watcher
Chapter 8
---------------------
The ornate doors opened to reveal a plush suite of rooms. Uncomfortable looking expensive furniture, wall hangings, and various paraphernalia choked the small space, narrowing the walking area considerably. It looked like the harem of some legendary pasha from a storybook.
The question was, where were the occupants?
The next room revealed the answer. The entire space was piled high with plush silk pillows of all shapes and sizes. Lounging on them in languid luxury were at least half a dozen rather lush looking women. Their loose, silky clothes and the half-veils that covered the lower part of their faces completed the impression of a pleasure bower.
All the reclining houris looked up at their entrance, the dull lassitude of boredom lifting instantly from gem-like eyes, replaced by quickening interest. Six pairs of ochre-lined eyes took in the two hunters hungrily, the semi-transparent gauzy veils revealing the flash of teeth as seductive smiles adorned painted lips.
The closest few drifted upright and glided toward them. Every motion, from the sway of well-shaped hips to the graceful movements of delicately formed hands, formed an enticing vision perfectly orchestrated to mesmerize any male. Heavy perfume hung in the air around them, clogging the nose and denying access to any other smell.
It was like a dream . . . one that a man could fall into so very easily, and never wish to emerge; a truly insidious trap that none had yet to escape from. The lovely snares moved boldly forward, confident that the prey was already theirs.
**
Alucard felt a fleeting moment of frozen horror when he first saw them. Sickening memories of a dark, blood drenched childhood rose up to hang like a day old corpse in his mind's eye, nearly causing him to panic.
Their sensual assault did not the intended effect on him. He felt nothing for these creatures save disgust and loathing. The sight of them alone physically sickened him. He had always despised the soul draining succubi that had hung around his father's court like flies on a carcass. Long used to enduring their unwanted attentions, he had become automatically resistant to this particular brand of evil. Their questionable charms did not ensnare him now.
However, the strong association with his shadowed past caused him to hesitate for an instant in the doorway.
*
D felt his companion's uncertainty and indecisiveness, but sensed it was not directly caused by the sex demons before them. He shifted one shoulder slightly, briefly brushing it against that of the other; the battle equivalent of a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
D felt Alucard start slightly, then slowly relax. Throughout the silent communication neither had taken their eyes off the incoming threat. Sensing that the instant of vulnerability was past, and confident now that they were both ready, they waited for the enemy to make the first move.
**
The now in sync warriors eyed the approaching enemy. The expressions of both were carefully blank, a tactic so reflexive that it could only be an automatic defense built up in the face of an all-too-familiar situation.
They looked startlingly alike in that moment, despite the obvious height and color variations between them. Two sets of disparate eyes were dark and hooded as they surveyed the lust demons as though the dangerous creatures were supplicants in a royal court that had just done something rather gauche.
The first of them reached the two noble-born dhamphir, laying a be-ringed hand proprietarily on one of D's well-muscled forearms.
The touch set off a reaction not unlike that of an explosion as the two hunters surged forward, sliding out their weapons and carving through the disguised demons like mad reapers cutting a particularly grisly harvest. Loud shrieks of outrage and pain filled the air as the things were methodically cut down.
In a relatively short time the two hunters had reached the far wall and the next exit. Behind them they left a scattered field of ichor-stained bodies. The illusion of beautiful women had vanished, revealing the truth in the twisted remains of the creatures. Impossibly long teeth and blood red eyes were now dulling in the glaze of death. Venom-tipped claws twitched uselessly in their final moments, unable to reach their slayers.
**
Alucard took a steadying breath, nearly choking on the perfume that still hung in the air. The smell of the things' black blood wasn't much better. The stench repulsed both sides of his nature. The part belonging to his mother's people inwardly drew back from such horrible creatures, while the darker, more primal vampire in him that yearned for pure, red blood snarled in disgust at the smell of fine cuisine gone to rot.
He was in full control of himself once more, thanks to D. That brief touch had reminded him that he was no longer trapped in the nightmare of his past, and there was one who stood beside him in his battles. He had faced a major trial, and come out more confident and stronger than before.
Head lifted proudly, he walked away from that oppressive room and on to the next challenge. He had slid from the grasp of the dark claws of his past yet again. This dismal place could bring what it wanted against him. He would stand firm.
Almost smiling, he paced after his partner.
**
They moved through a few more decorated rooms. Each had their own displays of finery, but seemed to vary with the tastes of their -previous- owners. Finally they reached a chamber that had no adornment whatsoever. The gray stone of the walls was all the more striking in its plainness after all the gaudiness that had assaulted their vision. There wasn't even a small rug to cover the cold, dusty floor. It also had no apparent way out, aside from where they'd come. The lighting was dim even to their sight, and D brought out his blue amulet to shed a brighter glow into the shadowed corners.
A few minutes of running gloved hands along the walls revealed a hidden door. With a gentle push, a particular stone protrusion ground open to reveal yet another dusty room. The only difference here was a small chest that looked as though it had been shoved off into a corner. Inside, Alucard discovered a square yellow block of what felt like wax. Curious, he brought it near his nose to smell for any other clues to its nature.
A wave of dizziness swept over him, his hands suddenly trembling as though the block had tripled in weight. Hastily, he jerked it away from his face, turning his head and breathing in great lungfuls of the stale air. He felt D come over and bend forward to examine his mysterious find.
*
One look was all D needed. He had neither wish nor any desire to get closer. "Put that away." He ordered, almost sharply. His right hand came up to cover his nose. Alucard tossed him a quizzical look but was already doing as he was told, wrapping the substance in a silk cloth he pulled from one of his seemingly bottomless magical pouches. The younger dhamphir knew better than to hesitate. Anything could be a possible threat.
When it was covered up D allowed himself to breathe freely again. "It's the wax for an Incense of Time Trap candle. The light and smell will paralyze anyone with vampire blood."
Alucard nodded in startled understanding. He stowed it away in his cloak. Dangerous to them it might be, but such things always seemed to prove useful later on.
They searched, but couldn't find another passage out of the room. After retracing their steps, and a more thorough search, D found yet another exit in the previous chamber. The small room with the chest had apparently just been for storage, for when the new door ground open the sound of air moving through a large space was easily discernable. Not two paces in the polished stone walls and floor ended abruptly, replaced by a rough floor and uncertain footholds.
D brought his amulet up, which only piercing the darkness just a few feet in front of them. However, the light was enough to confirm the truth of the large cavern they had sensed before them, most of its vastness concealed by a darkness so complete that the eye tended to slide away from it in an effort to not be absorbed into it. Stalactites hung from the ceiling in abundance, hanging there like an inverted stone forest. Rising from the ground were their corresponding stalagmite partners, some so large that they blocked most of the view.
Shadows that didn't appear to have any physical source flitted in innumerable stone crevices. Exchanging a speaking look, the two companions stepped cautiously forward into the unknown.
*
They traveled carefully, weaving through the maze of stone, sometimes having to backtrack to find a usable path. Both had an excellent sense of direction, and could tread on footing where a human could not have found even a finger hold. But still the going was slow and arduous. The place seemed designed to make it all but impossible to get through on foot.
The further they went in, the more the shadows seemed to loom closer. Occasionally, a lesser demon was sighted flitting around the distant ceiling spikes. They would chitter and shriek at them, sometimes attacking with wicked little claws, but were easily dealt with.
They also encountered some sort of entity that seemed to be made out of shadows and darkness. One got in a lucky strike that barely grazed Alucard's arm. The scratch was minimal, but the contact instantly caused a feeling of bone-chilling cold that temporarily numbed the entire limb. After the creature was taken care of, he was careful to rub the circulation back into it, shivering slightly at the memory. They met few more of them after that, but were careful to keep them at swords length and dispatched them quickly. For all their insubstantial appearance, they were cut down as easily as any flesh and blood being.
The cavern seemed to go on for miles. Time was once again lost to them as they journeyed surrounded by absolute darkness, only the light they carried with them showing the way. Unfortunately, it was also was rather dangerous, for they could be tracked by the glow from a long ways away.
Eventually the going got so confusing that Alucard took to the air in his bat form, using echolocation to try and discover the best route. After several more hours D spotted a faint light ahead, calling back his transformed partner from his scouting. The two once again humanoid dhamphir continued until at last they rounded a particularly large stalagmite, which was twice D's height in thickness and thrust upward toward the ceiling until it connected with a corresponding stalactite, forming a vast pillar.
They discovered the light source to be coming from a luminescent moss that covered every surface as far as the eye can see ahead of them, like a thick green floor to ceiling carpet . The smell of moisture and the faint sound of water dripping explained the source of the plants' nourishment in the otherwise lightless place.
The stone spikes ended just a few steps into the glowing carpet, replaced by the rippling design of water polished stone discernable under the moss.
**
They traveled through the cushiony passage, the dim illumination given off by the plants providing more than adequate light for their sharp eyes. The way narrowed gradually until they had to walk single file. D was in front, ducking slightly as the ceiling angled down to meet the shrinking tunnel, when he stopped without warning. His partner nearly ran into his broad back, his fine-tuned reflexes saving him from that embarrassment at the last moment. Peering around one tall shoulder, Alucard saw that they had come to an abrupt drop-off. Beyond, the area expanded instantly into a cavern quite a bit smaller than the last they had traveled. There were fewer water created spikes to bar their way, and the ceiling was low enough that they could have touched it at their currently elevated position had they chosen to.
The hard floor was several yards below. D carefully jumped down, his cape billowing out to slow his fall. He'd seen at a glance that the sheerness of the opening made it impossible for even his skilled fingers to find a hold to climb down. He landed in a crouch, barely causing a breath of sound, and was already out of the way when Alucard landed in the space he had occupied just a moment before. Cautiously, they moved forward. The open space made it easier to travel, but the peril of being so exposed out in the open more than countered that slight luxury. The stone spikes here were mostly small, only a few scattered remnants of the moss cavern adorning a few of them. The result was more shadows that drew tricked and drew the eye away from possible real threats.
As they hiked forward their wariness only increased. Many of the larger stalagmites and their opposites were in piles of rubble, some looking as though they had been sheered off at the base with a laser. Something had to have done that to them, and whatever it was was probably still around. The tunnel narrowed, and the upward jutting spikes ended almost entirely, only a few clinging to the sides of the passageway. The stalactites were still in evidence, but were relatively small compared to those they'd seen previously.
Then they both froze, listening intently. Pale blue and bright golden eyes exchanged glances, and both turned to peer intently ahead. They had heard something; the unmistakable sound of metal on metal and scraping against stone. Their eyes could detect no heat in front of them, but that didn't reassure them. Many threats were cold-blooded, in more ways than one.
Then the ground began to vibrate under the soles of their boots. Alucard reached out his left hand, feeling a small stalagmite quiver under his palm through his glove. It was a steady rhythm; one minor quake after another, and it was getting closer.
D didn't bother to reach for his amulet for further illumination. There was no time. Both dhamphir dove to the sides as a jagged sword twice the size of an ox cart came crashing down between them.
-------------------------------
By The Unseen Watcher
Chapter 8
---------------------
The ornate doors opened to reveal a plush suite of rooms. Uncomfortable looking expensive furniture, wall hangings, and various paraphernalia choked the small space, narrowing the walking area considerably. It looked like the harem of some legendary pasha from a storybook.
The question was, where were the occupants?
The next room revealed the answer. The entire space was piled high with plush silk pillows of all shapes and sizes. Lounging on them in languid luxury were at least half a dozen rather lush looking women. Their loose, silky clothes and the half-veils that covered the lower part of their faces completed the impression of a pleasure bower.
All the reclining houris looked up at their entrance, the dull lassitude of boredom lifting instantly from gem-like eyes, replaced by quickening interest. Six pairs of ochre-lined eyes took in the two hunters hungrily, the semi-transparent gauzy veils revealing the flash of teeth as seductive smiles adorned painted lips.
The closest few drifted upright and glided toward them. Every motion, from the sway of well-shaped hips to the graceful movements of delicately formed hands, formed an enticing vision perfectly orchestrated to mesmerize any male. Heavy perfume hung in the air around them, clogging the nose and denying access to any other smell.
It was like a dream . . . one that a man could fall into so very easily, and never wish to emerge; a truly insidious trap that none had yet to escape from. The lovely snares moved boldly forward, confident that the prey was already theirs.
**
Alucard felt a fleeting moment of frozen horror when he first saw them. Sickening memories of a dark, blood drenched childhood rose up to hang like a day old corpse in his mind's eye, nearly causing him to panic.
Their sensual assault did not the intended effect on him. He felt nothing for these creatures save disgust and loathing. The sight of them alone physically sickened him. He had always despised the soul draining succubi that had hung around his father's court like flies on a carcass. Long used to enduring their unwanted attentions, he had become automatically resistant to this particular brand of evil. Their questionable charms did not ensnare him now.
However, the strong association with his shadowed past caused him to hesitate for an instant in the doorway.
*
D felt his companion's uncertainty and indecisiveness, but sensed it was not directly caused by the sex demons before them. He shifted one shoulder slightly, briefly brushing it against that of the other; the battle equivalent of a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
D felt Alucard start slightly, then slowly relax. Throughout the silent communication neither had taken their eyes off the incoming threat. Sensing that the instant of vulnerability was past, and confident now that they were both ready, they waited for the enemy to make the first move.
**
The now in sync warriors eyed the approaching enemy. The expressions of both were carefully blank, a tactic so reflexive that it could only be an automatic defense built up in the face of an all-too-familiar situation.
They looked startlingly alike in that moment, despite the obvious height and color variations between them. Two sets of disparate eyes were dark and hooded as they surveyed the lust demons as though the dangerous creatures were supplicants in a royal court that had just done something rather gauche.
The first of them reached the two noble-born dhamphir, laying a be-ringed hand proprietarily on one of D's well-muscled forearms.
The touch set off a reaction not unlike that of an explosion as the two hunters surged forward, sliding out their weapons and carving through the disguised demons like mad reapers cutting a particularly grisly harvest. Loud shrieks of outrage and pain filled the air as the things were methodically cut down.
In a relatively short time the two hunters had reached the far wall and the next exit. Behind them they left a scattered field of ichor-stained bodies. The illusion of beautiful women had vanished, revealing the truth in the twisted remains of the creatures. Impossibly long teeth and blood red eyes were now dulling in the glaze of death. Venom-tipped claws twitched uselessly in their final moments, unable to reach their slayers.
**
Alucard took a steadying breath, nearly choking on the perfume that still hung in the air. The smell of the things' black blood wasn't much better. The stench repulsed both sides of his nature. The part belonging to his mother's people inwardly drew back from such horrible creatures, while the darker, more primal vampire in him that yearned for pure, red blood snarled in disgust at the smell of fine cuisine gone to rot.
He was in full control of himself once more, thanks to D. That brief touch had reminded him that he was no longer trapped in the nightmare of his past, and there was one who stood beside him in his battles. He had faced a major trial, and come out more confident and stronger than before.
Head lifted proudly, he walked away from that oppressive room and on to the next challenge. He had slid from the grasp of the dark claws of his past yet again. This dismal place could bring what it wanted against him. He would stand firm.
Almost smiling, he paced after his partner.
**
They moved through a few more decorated rooms. Each had their own displays of finery, but seemed to vary with the tastes of their -previous- owners. Finally they reached a chamber that had no adornment whatsoever. The gray stone of the walls was all the more striking in its plainness after all the gaudiness that had assaulted their vision. There wasn't even a small rug to cover the cold, dusty floor. It also had no apparent way out, aside from where they'd come. The lighting was dim even to their sight, and D brought out his blue amulet to shed a brighter glow into the shadowed corners.
A few minutes of running gloved hands along the walls revealed a hidden door. With a gentle push, a particular stone protrusion ground open to reveal yet another dusty room. The only difference here was a small chest that looked as though it had been shoved off into a corner. Inside, Alucard discovered a square yellow block of what felt like wax. Curious, he brought it near his nose to smell for any other clues to its nature.
A wave of dizziness swept over him, his hands suddenly trembling as though the block had tripled in weight. Hastily, he jerked it away from his face, turning his head and breathing in great lungfuls of the stale air. He felt D come over and bend forward to examine his mysterious find.
*
One look was all D needed. He had neither wish nor any desire to get closer. "Put that away." He ordered, almost sharply. His right hand came up to cover his nose. Alucard tossed him a quizzical look but was already doing as he was told, wrapping the substance in a silk cloth he pulled from one of his seemingly bottomless magical pouches. The younger dhamphir knew better than to hesitate. Anything could be a possible threat.
When it was covered up D allowed himself to breathe freely again. "It's the wax for an Incense of Time Trap candle. The light and smell will paralyze anyone with vampire blood."
Alucard nodded in startled understanding. He stowed it away in his cloak. Dangerous to them it might be, but such things always seemed to prove useful later on.
They searched, but couldn't find another passage out of the room. After retracing their steps, and a more thorough search, D found yet another exit in the previous chamber. The small room with the chest had apparently just been for storage, for when the new door ground open the sound of air moving through a large space was easily discernable. Not two paces in the polished stone walls and floor ended abruptly, replaced by a rough floor and uncertain footholds.
D brought his amulet up, which only piercing the darkness just a few feet in front of them. However, the light was enough to confirm the truth of the large cavern they had sensed before them, most of its vastness concealed by a darkness so complete that the eye tended to slide away from it in an effort to not be absorbed into it. Stalactites hung from the ceiling in abundance, hanging there like an inverted stone forest. Rising from the ground were their corresponding stalagmite partners, some so large that they blocked most of the view.
Shadows that didn't appear to have any physical source flitted in innumerable stone crevices. Exchanging a speaking look, the two companions stepped cautiously forward into the unknown.
*
They traveled carefully, weaving through the maze of stone, sometimes having to backtrack to find a usable path. Both had an excellent sense of direction, and could tread on footing where a human could not have found even a finger hold. But still the going was slow and arduous. The place seemed designed to make it all but impossible to get through on foot.
The further they went in, the more the shadows seemed to loom closer. Occasionally, a lesser demon was sighted flitting around the distant ceiling spikes. They would chitter and shriek at them, sometimes attacking with wicked little claws, but were easily dealt with.
They also encountered some sort of entity that seemed to be made out of shadows and darkness. One got in a lucky strike that barely grazed Alucard's arm. The scratch was minimal, but the contact instantly caused a feeling of bone-chilling cold that temporarily numbed the entire limb. After the creature was taken care of, he was careful to rub the circulation back into it, shivering slightly at the memory. They met few more of them after that, but were careful to keep them at swords length and dispatched them quickly. For all their insubstantial appearance, they were cut down as easily as any flesh and blood being.
The cavern seemed to go on for miles. Time was once again lost to them as they journeyed surrounded by absolute darkness, only the light they carried with them showing the way. Unfortunately, it was also was rather dangerous, for they could be tracked by the glow from a long ways away.
Eventually the going got so confusing that Alucard took to the air in his bat form, using echolocation to try and discover the best route. After several more hours D spotted a faint light ahead, calling back his transformed partner from his scouting. The two once again humanoid dhamphir continued until at last they rounded a particularly large stalagmite, which was twice D's height in thickness and thrust upward toward the ceiling until it connected with a corresponding stalactite, forming a vast pillar.
They discovered the light source to be coming from a luminescent moss that covered every surface as far as the eye can see ahead of them, like a thick green floor to ceiling carpet . The smell of moisture and the faint sound of water dripping explained the source of the plants' nourishment in the otherwise lightless place.
The stone spikes ended just a few steps into the glowing carpet, replaced by the rippling design of water polished stone discernable under the moss.
**
They traveled through the cushiony passage, the dim illumination given off by the plants providing more than adequate light for their sharp eyes. The way narrowed gradually until they had to walk single file. D was in front, ducking slightly as the ceiling angled down to meet the shrinking tunnel, when he stopped without warning. His partner nearly ran into his broad back, his fine-tuned reflexes saving him from that embarrassment at the last moment. Peering around one tall shoulder, Alucard saw that they had come to an abrupt drop-off. Beyond, the area expanded instantly into a cavern quite a bit smaller than the last they had traveled. There were fewer water created spikes to bar their way, and the ceiling was low enough that they could have touched it at their currently elevated position had they chosen to.
The hard floor was several yards below. D carefully jumped down, his cape billowing out to slow his fall. He'd seen at a glance that the sheerness of the opening made it impossible for even his skilled fingers to find a hold to climb down. He landed in a crouch, barely causing a breath of sound, and was already out of the way when Alucard landed in the space he had occupied just a moment before. Cautiously, they moved forward. The open space made it easier to travel, but the peril of being so exposed out in the open more than countered that slight luxury. The stone spikes here were mostly small, only a few scattered remnants of the moss cavern adorning a few of them. The result was more shadows that drew tricked and drew the eye away from possible real threats.
As they hiked forward their wariness only increased. Many of the larger stalagmites and their opposites were in piles of rubble, some looking as though they had been sheered off at the base with a laser. Something had to have done that to them, and whatever it was was probably still around. The tunnel narrowed, and the upward jutting spikes ended almost entirely, only a few clinging to the sides of the passageway. The stalactites were still in evidence, but were relatively small compared to those they'd seen previously.
Then they both froze, listening intently. Pale blue and bright golden eyes exchanged glances, and both turned to peer intently ahead. They had heard something; the unmistakable sound of metal on metal and scraping against stone. Their eyes could detect no heat in front of them, but that didn't reassure them. Many threats were cold-blooded, in more ways than one.
Then the ground began to vibrate under the soles of their boots. Alucard reached out his left hand, feeling a small stalagmite quiver under his palm through his glove. It was a steady rhythm; one minor quake after another, and it was getting closer.
D didn't bother to reach for his amulet for further illumination. There was no time. Both dhamphir dove to the sides as a jagged sword twice the size of an ox cart came crashing down between them.
-------------------------------