Rigor Mortis

Chapter Seventeen: To Thwart Big Brother

It was a dark, moonless night as I stood on one of the many bridges in town. The mist rose from the surrounding moors and gave a chilling eerie feel to the whole place. I shivered inside my cloak but I was determined to see this through. The night so far had been pleasant. I had taken Avelice to a little eating house and now we were going for a walk around the town. The whole time she seemed like her usual pleasant self but I could still tell that she was nervous about something. After all, she hardly touched her food.

"Avelice, are you happy?" I asked suddenly, gripping the railing of the bridge.

"No. At least I'm doing something to get my on the path of being happy, though. I've saved up a lot of money," she replied and sidled up next to me.

"I told you that I'd pay your debt," I said. She only turned away from me and sighed.

"Why do you have to ruin such a nice evening with that kind of talk. This is a treat. Most of my clients don't bother to 'take me out'." she scowled.

"I'm not your client," I said.

"Your money is jingling in my coin purse. So, yes, you are," she replied.

"If I was really your client, you'd send your sisters to feed off of my blood, like you did with that nobleman from Ziegsturhl," I stated.

There was a long silence, only pierced by the lonely howling of a wolf.

"So you know..." she said at last.

"I know that you're bait to lure in the men so that the vampires in the Red Rose can drink their blood," I said, "I saw when I was performing a necroscopy on the boy,"

"You were always talented," she sighed, "but you still know nothing."

"I want to get you away from there. The Red Rose is not your only option. You can come with me," I offered desperately. Avelice only laughed cruelly and nuzzled into my neck.

"Let's stop this," she said, "We should enjoy this as long as we can,"

I shoved her away and I thought I heard a hiss come from her as she sneered at me.

"You thought those vampires killed me that night," I scowled, "And the same ones are here to finish the job now."

"You're wrong!" she cried and I could see tears welling up in her eyes. "I didn't want them to kill you! It was the Madam's orders afterwards. I tried to convince her, but I couldn't. I can't go with you, Mortanius! It's too late for me,"

"It's never too late," I said.

"Tell me, do you go around saving every damsel in distress?" she asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't you know that I was saved by a much more powerful man than you? One who was intrigued by the fact that I was at once blighted and beautiful? He was the one who cured me, not some silly wizard," Avelice said, and I saw a beastly gleam in her eyes, "You're sweet, Mortanius, but I can't disobey the Madam. I wish it could be different for us."

She lunged at me, faster than I could see and a there was a sharp pain as she sank her fangs into my throat. With inhuman strength she held me down and sucked greedily at the wound. Though the pain was not great, I could not move because of it. I had been told long ago that most vampires had some kind of paralyzing agent in their saliva to prevent their prey from escaping and I supposed this was what was being released into my veins. I felt my consciousness waver and darkness began to encroach on my vision.

Suddenly, she reeled as though she had been hit by something. She crouched over me now, with my blood dripping from her snarling mouth, though she seemed completely disinterested in me now. Wild fear shone in her glinting eyes and she stammered stupidly.

"My sisters! Madam! No!" she cried, looking back at the Red Rose. Though I could still not move, I could speak and with great haste, I recited the ascending node. Shadowy figures formed out of the night, their eyes glowing with ghastly flame. Though they did not speak, they were asking me what I wanted them to do. I could feel them straining, eager for violence.

She still stared back at the brothel, with tears now streaming down her face. She did not notice the wraiths silently gathering behind her as she began to wail. Regaining my strength, I climbed to my feet and watched them seize her with their insubstantial, but undeniably strong claws. She struggled only briefly before she knew she could not escape. Held in midair by nothing but a shadow, she turned her wrathful gaze upon me.

"You did this! You killed my sisters! You murdered Madam!" she accused.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I said and proceeded to fleshcraft my wound. She watched in fascination as the skin spread over the gash. I stepped closer to her, silently willing the wraiths to merely hold her. I could feel their agitation, but they had no choice in the matter.

"I should kill you for what you've done," I said stonily, "but I won't. I believe there is something still good inside of you. You are simply bound by your instinct and your urges. I will teach you another way."

"All I ever needed to know was taught to me by Vorador!" she said, spitting in my face. "What do you mean to do? Reform me? Domesticate me? Go to hell, Mortanius!" She then continued to lament for her fallen sisters and I decided that I should investigate. Something undoubtedly was happening at the Red Rose. I commanded the wraiths to hold her until I returned.

On my way there, I ran into a group of terrified girls fleeing from the direction of the brothel. Most were too stupid with fear to answer me but one told me what was happening. Apparently, the brothel was under attack from some group of men, perhaps raiders. I told them to go to the necromancers' guild house to be safe. Saying brief thanks, they scampered away into the night. When I arrived, I saw that the girl's words were true. The doors to the Red Rose had been ripped off of their hinges and all of the front windows had been smashed. Cautiously, I stepped beyond the threshold and peered into the receiving room. The steely sound of clashing weapons came from upstairs and I noticed a group of huddling, naked men in one corner. Loriath was among them.

"What's going on?" I demanded.

"Some men in armor just suddenly stormed the place! They broke into the rooms and demanded that everyone get out. B...but some of the girls...they...murdered them!" Loriath said, almost out of his mind with panic.

"Take this group and go to the guild house. I sent the survivors there. Watch over them," I ordered. He nodded dumbly and with the others, he left that place. I climbed the stairs, afraid of what I might find. Three women were lying on the floor, their blood seeping into the plush red carpet. I saw that the crude spears that had been the instruments of their deaths had been left in their chests. I could tell that they were...or had been...vampires. I ran past them, heading towards the sound of the battle. I dashed into an open room. Nothing seemed out of place, except that the bed was unmade and there was a great pool of blood on the floor. The giant armoire had been pulled away from the wall and I could see that there was a passage that led to a secret room which was where the fighting was occurring. I still was not certain as to why I felt I had to go see this. I had no desire to save the vampires, after all, I pondered as I vaulted down the stairs.

Here was much different than the rest of the brothel. Here it was nothing but cold stone and steel. Men, naked and pale, were shackled to the wall, some dead...others I could not tell. All of them suffered cruel, puckered wounds on every surface of their bodies. Some called out to me and some just looked on with lifeless glassy eyes. Blood stained every cobblestone and lent a rank smell to the dungeon. I had happened upon the pantry.

"Die monster!" a voice called out and I saw in the doorway a man wearing pristine white armor, so immaculate compared with the rest of the place. He held a massive sword and pointed it right at me.

I stared at him, unafraid and understanding that, given my odd appearance, he must have thought I was a vampire.

"No, George!" a younger voice called out, and I saw the honest-faced youth that I had given money earlier this morning. He still had the same amiable face, but it was covered in blood and the pike he bore was no cleaner. "He's all right! He gave us some money! He's a necromancer, I think."

"Then you can help us rid this place of the infestation," George said affably, "We got most of 'em, but there are a few in the back room causing trouble."

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Don't you remember, sir?" the youth asked.

A pained cry roused me out of my confusion and I continued down the blood-smeared corridor. In a similar room stood the Madam, with the remains of her brood trembling behind her. On the floor was a wounded man, his throat torn out.

"You'll pay for that, you succubus!" one armor-clad fighter cried.

"What will you do?" the Madam said coolly, "Kill us? Do it. Do it and all the wrath of hell will come upon you."

"Is that so?" another replied and thrusted his sword at her. She deftly moved to the side and caught him in the face with her now-elongated claws. He reeled back, screaming.

"Does anyone else care to lose an eye before I die?" she asked. She turned her smouldering gaze to me and smiled. "Ah...Avelice's favorite customer."

Suddenly, they all leapt without warning. To my amazement, the Madam grew black and hairy and before I knew it, she had become a wolf. The other vampires sprang at the armed men and there was a cacophony of cries and clashing metal. The Madam was on me and her vicious jaws had closed in on my feebly defending arm. All her weight was pressed on me and I could not get her thrashing form off of me. I was jerked with a beastly ferocity and my own blood sprayed madly. I felt no pain...only the faint feeling of something being torn from me...I could still hear the fighting...the snarling...there was a violet glow...and then...

...then all was black.

I awoke to find myself in a cot, in a room full of cots like mine. Only a few flickering candles served to light the room and I saw that there were a few men sleeping. All were bandaged in some fashion. It was a very spartan place, but it was warm and I was safe. I looked at my arm, trying not to recollect the events of the night. It was numb and heavily bandaged. I began to unravel the bindings, in order to heal myself more efficiently when a jovial voice called out to me.

"I told you I should teach you how to fight!" it laughed, "What a rough night for you!"

That was how, after a full year, I reunited with Moebius the Timestreamer.