Kain: Quite. Where have you been?
(winces) After 4 months of pain and insult, the Navy decided they had no need for my services. (rubbing legs) AND ...(tada!) I've found my someone! Been working on that recently.
Oh, and if I got the wrong guy for the red hair, please tell me!
Well, anyway, the long awaited ...
Chapter vii: Redirect
He awoke slowly, as if his mind battled with his dreams which dare to claim him longer. Yet with some time, he rose, sitting upright and slightly slumped in his bed, the white satin sheets clinging lightly to his pale lithe form. A three-clawed hand gently rested against his weary golden eyes. The vampire's other glided over the bedsheets.
He stopped. These are not his bedsheets.
A quick glance about the room revealed his suspicion correct; no, this was not his room, his grandiose quarters with bold colors and beautiful objects made of precious metals, but it did hold it own pulchritude: A low light penetrated through the many ruinous slight drapes of gray that hung haphazardly over the large open window to his right, casting a somber glow within the small room as they stirred in the morning soft breeze. He remembered the party and felt calmer, continuing to study his surroundings. The arrays continued past the window, upon the walls, and suspended over the bed and ceiling. For an instant, the vampire felt as a great spider, protected and supreme in his silken nest.
His eyes followed left and saw the only furnishings in the whole room besides the bed; a small, daintily-crafted table stood against a great mirror with a sterling frame, adorned with a simple tin vase. So simple, yet magestic. He peered past the vase and into the mirror. His visage has always catched his interest. The vampire was not exceptionally vain, he just seemed to look strange to himself. His golden eyes were wide as he ran his claw through thick strands of jet hair. And that was the problem. His hair. Not the relative lack of length compared to all but one of his brothers, not the full body that gives his hair almost too much lift, but ...the color? Yes, that had to be it. He uncovered himself and swung his legs to edge of the bed towards the mirror, still staring. But what color? He thought back to earier times. After especially savage battles, he remembered how his and his brothers' hair would be soaked with blood and for weeks be stained with a red tint. His hair looked right then. But then again, his hair was also flatter as he has always wished it.
A faint cry caught his attention. "Zephon! Where are you?"
Oh well. So much for his musings. He got up off the bed with a bounce, his cloven feet meeting the cold marble tile, and spied his leather trousers and clan throe folded neatly on the ground at the foot of the bed. The vampire heard a slight scratching outside the window. He paid it no mind. Slipping into his pants, he walked towards the window to peer at the city. Yet instead of seeing buildings and the morning lit sky, he saw a blur of claws and white fur, and he screamed in excruciating pain.
The whole bottom floor of the Taleminos Mansion was dedicated to the atrium, since it had barely any girth, but plenty of floors. The grand staircase which led to these floors lay on the far side of the room. The atrium was decorated as most wealthy humans have it: rare tapestries and original paintings hung here and there, while masterly-carved cherrywood stands held small ceramic or pewter works of art. The walls were painted a deep cream which was accented by the lighting from the sconces positioned effectively around the large room. Yet most of the light came from the single masterwork brass chandelier, with every candle on it lit. Two dainty scarlet sofas sat in the center of the atrium, just below the chandelier, facing each other. On one sat Raziel, quite content to recline comfortably upon it, keeping his other brothers from sitting near him, whilst Rahab and Melchiah shared the other. Dumah and Turel seemed content to pace the grey marble floor, every so often impeding each other.
A distant yet clear shout of pain echoed through the building.
"What was that?" Dumah asked as he looked over his shoulder at his brothers. The others turned to him and shrugged.
With a loud crash and curses flying, Zephon stumbled down the steps while twisting his torso, gripping a fuzzy white object at his face.
Raziel regarded him with slight disinterest. "What is that you have at your face?" he inquired while picking at a piece of fuzz on his clan throe. "A washcloth of some sort?"
The fourth born pried it loose with a yelp, fresh cuts littering his skin. "I wish! 'Tis that damned cat!" he growled as he dangled it in front of him by the scruff of its neck. He handed it to Dumah, who gave it a bit of a jiggle.
"The great Zephon, the lieutenant of Kain," The burly vampire teased as the kitten started his own rhythm of movement, "brought down by a cuddly, little--"
The kitten, having now enough inertia, flipped itself upon Dumah's arm, latching itself to him by biting down on his wrist, and began to tear into his flesh with all four paws. He screeched and let go, yet it still hung on to him like a snowy ball of fury, now starting to cut quite deeply into him. He frantically shook his arm, screaming at the little animal to let go, for god's sake! Raziel lept from the couch and rushed to his brother's aide; gripping the cat's scruff, he began pulling upon it, trying to be careful of both Dumah's arm and Kain's cat.
Eventually, Raziel managed to wreast it from his brother, throwing it off of Dumah. The kitten landed quite safely and scooted across the floor, attempting to stand and run.
Turel watched as the kitten scurried out of sight. "What an evil little creature."
Luckily, vampires have the ability to heal quickly, so they all were restored when a knock on the large carved oak doors came a few seconds later.
Turel answered the door, and behind it was a well-dressed human man. He bowed with a bit of a florish. "Our great Master, Lord Kain, requests your presence at the Mournfair library. If you would follow me, I shall take you there."
The lieutenants nodded in acknowledgement.
Kain was getting quite annoyed. He had been listening to the scholars of Mournfair babble for the last hour, yet it has got him no closer to his goal. Few things iritate the vampire lord more than irrelevent blether. He hautily sighed to himself and rested his chin in his right claw. One whole hour lost sitting in this simple leather chair in the cluddered back office of the library, being bombarded by frivolous words of these clods sitting in other simple leather chairs. Not to mention he was still battling a headache from last night's festivities. If only his lieutenants would hurry and arrive.
"If you like his works, perhaps you would like Frederick D'eaux." smiled one of the scholars. "He is this strapping chap who blah blah blah..."
Then again, this place really was not all that displeasing once one ignores the people here, Kain surmised. The book shelves that lines nearly every inch of the walls, although unkempt, gave the office a distinct laboratory feel to it; as if any minute, the great academicians of Nosgoth would bust into this place to research into their palatial experiments and discoveries. Even the thin layer of dust over some paper and books added a sort of arcane aura to the room.
A knock upon the one door leading in or out was heard, and from behind it stepped the servant of the scholars and the six brothers.
"Finally," mumbled Kain as he rose from the chair. The scholars stood out of reverence.
Rahab, guessing their sire had met with these humans to discuss Henry James, decided to inquire of their next move. "Lord, what is the word for our little excursion?"
When Kain turned to him, Rahab was taken aback. Instead of the staid expression he always wore, the vampire lord was visibly annoyed. This was not good. He remembered every time he looked as such, some poor mortal fool met his untimely end. He cared not for humans, yet he did not believe this place has total submission to Kain's rule, and killing someone who did nothing could be quite a problem; after all, here is a whole city of men, but only seven vampires.
"Henry James is not in Fangoria at this time," the elder vampire aridly huffed. "He has taken a little excursion, as you have said, of his own, and will not be back for a week or two." The lieutenants quickly drew back as their sire strode out of the room and into the main library chamber, his sons following him.
Two of the scholars rushed to the doorway of the office and leaned toward the retreating vampires. "Lord Kain!" one called. "Since you have time to kill, why don't you check the Arena about Certamen?
Kain stopped and turned to regard the mortals.
"Certamen is a competition of strength, speed, and wits," the other explained. "Our fair city has been hosting this event for quite some time now, and," the scholar's voice began to weaken as the vampire's expression did not change, "I thought you might be interested."
The overlord returned to leaving. "I guess."
The scholars' contenances brightened.
Outside the tall stone building of the library, Kain paused and took a deep breath. His eyelids slid shut. A clean light breeze whipped loose strands of silver about him as the sun shone quite brightly, casting a white haze over everything; the cover of the smoke seen in the distant southeast. I was days like this which reminded him of how much he hated the sun. He reopened his eyes and took one last look on the drab outer walls. Kain blinked. There was graffiti carved into the stone. Walking towards it, he read what it had to say.A portal spawns from every choice consummated
To loose beyond its gates angels or demons.
What doth thine will sayeth?
Kain smiled and carved back.
How can one trust his engrossing choice
If free will eludes all, even the wisest?
No will means no choices.
Satisfied of his proclamation, he strolled down the steps of the library's entrance and headed for the Arena.
"Sire," asked Turel, "what did your response mean?"
He remained silent, a hint of sadness in his eyes.
Whew! glad to get that off me! Hate this new formatting, though.
Kain: Loon's back! (cuddles kitten)
He'll come in handy later! (wink)
Please review!
