Chapter Six: Inside the Dark Menagerie pt. 3
Ryviern could barely hide his excitement as Darshane wandered through the shelves of ancient tomes. Finally after all this time, they'd found it! His prior irritation was completely forgotten when Darshane told him he'd found the sacred scrolls. No one else really believed that the writings of Arnez still existed, but he'd persisted. The only problem was that there were multiple scrolls, and they only needed one. However, when they do find it, they could finally return to their homeland, and continue with their plans.
The massive chamber, or Archive, spanned almost the entire length of a football field. Usually only vampire scribes could navigate the almost completely deoxygenized room. Its entryway was designed to prevent any damaging oxides from entering the room. Instead, the area was almost one huge vacuum. Oxygen masks secured, they briskly traveled through the labyrinth.
Suddenly Darshane stopped, and with all the excitement of a kid in a candy store, he cleared away the lines of texts, and reached toward the back of the shelf. Gently he lifted the fragile scrolls from their dark enclosure. Eager gloved hands softly caressed the black wooden knobs. Ryviern smirked at his companion's antics. However, both were in awe as they looked upon the ancient scrolls.
Quickly undoing the leather ties, Darshane unraveled one of the rolls of thin hide. Although the writing was somewhat faded, both could still make out the familiar symbols, the powerful words of a long-dead sorcerer. There were fourteen scrolls in all. Hopefully, what they were looking for was in one of them.
They worked in silence, carefully scanning each of the scrolls. All of a sudden, Darshane made a noise.
Ryviern glanced at him. Frustration was etched on his features.
Darshane gestured to what had caught his eye. Ryviern's own eyes widened as he read over the section. It appeared that Arnez was also an historian. The scroll told of the final years of the dragons' reign. Actually it was a lengthy segment on the Mage Rebellion. Dashear's comments surged to the fore of Darshane's memory. For a second, an impossible idea came to mind, but he quickly squelched it. There was no way they could still exist. Their ways were lost long ago. However, he better not let anyone else see this. It could be dangerous knowledge to behold, even if their old enemies were long since dead. Any evidence of their weaknesses was best destroyed, sacred artifact or no.
Voices alerted them that they were no longer alone. Silently cursing, Ryviern motioned for Darshane to keep searching. He'll deal with the intruders.
Okay, we're here. Now what? Branna's wrists were red from the constant rubbing of the cuffs.
Hold on, just give me a minute.
You made me lead us all the way down here, and you don't even know what you came here for!
Immensely aggravated by her incredulous tone, Hunter hissed at her. Will you hold your tongue for one second!
He sensed the blast before it hit and instantly hurled himself at Branna. It all happened so fast that she didn't have time to even yell. Hunter had launched them behind the first row of shelves. The blast hit it like a wave; the tall structure wavered before continuing its fall to the ground. Hunter and Branna only had a second to run to prevent from being crushed. They huddled further down, gasping for sparse air.
Meanwhile, Dominic and his gang were even more unfortunate. While he, John and Ramon were able to avoid most of the rush of black power, their other comrades were hit directly. Their screams were lost amidst the roar of the seething torrent.
"What the hell is that thing!" Hunter had never seen power such as this. What had Cale been doing since he'd been gone? It chilled him to the bones to think that Cale might have unleashed these beings on the world.
"That is a dragon. Welcome back, Hunter." He glanced over at his companion. Her sarcastic tone distressed him even more. Goddess, what the hell is happening!
"Well, what can we do to stop it?" Hunter sensed the approach of the being.
Branna gave a bitter laugh, "We can't."
Before Hunter could respond, a taunting voice was heard. "Come on out, whoever you are. It's futile to hide." When he got no response as expected, Ryviern just smirked. "Have it your way. Ready or not, here I come," he muttered to himself.
"Good Lord, he's playing with us."
"Hush, come on, follow me." She'd already started moving away, and Hunter was had no choice but to follow.
"Let's look for what you came for, while our captors distract lizard-breath." When they'd crept far enough away, Branna glanced back at him. "Do you remember what it is you're looking for?"
"It's a scroll." At her caustic look, he continued, "I'll remember when I see it. It's farther back; at least I think that's where I hid it."
"That's gonna help!"
"Hey! I'm trying. You try finding something with over half your memories gone, and the rest a blurry mess!"
"Shush! Okay, I'm sorry." Branna stopped pestering him after that, and they moved in silence. The sounds of fighting didn't seem to fade though, no matter how far they crept away.
xxxxxxxxx
Dominic was quickly running out of options. He had no idea if either Troy or Sebastian were alive. As far as he knew, he, John and Ramon were the only ones left. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Ramon slink off.
"Ramon! What are you doing?"
"Trying to get out of here." Actually, he had no idea where he was going, but Dashear would be damned if Ryviern caught him. It took a little getting used to the strange body, but it wasn't like he had time to familiarize himself with his new shell.
Although, Dominic had been interested in the records here, Ramon had a point. The room was crumbling all around them from the dragon's might, and he had a responsibility to get his men safely out of here.
He cursed at the loss of his captives. Any information Hunter might have given them would have been of great interest to the Alliance.
With a quick gesture to the direction ahead of them, he said, "Fine, let's head toward the entrance."
Ryviern scanned the main hall for any movement. Stepping over the charred remains of the two vampires, he stealthily crept his way toward the middle of the room. He had sensed movement down this way, but now could hear nothing but the cracking of the ruined shelves.
Then a scent caught his attention, and his lips curled in anticipation. Raven. The bitch never did know how to keep her nose out of things. Well this time, her curiosity's gotten her in too deep. Senses alert, the hunter within him roared at the chase.
Branna barely had any time to warn Hunter before she felt the blast. The power of the force rammed them into row of shelves in front of them. Black spots danced before her. Hunter moaned from her left.
"How is that whenever I'm with you, I always seem to be fighting for my life?"
"Shut up and move!" Branna was about to turn around a corner when a familiar booming voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Raven! Tsk, tsk, tsk, you really think you can hide from me?" Branna felt her blood freeze at his cold tone. Her constricted chest made her gasp in pain. "Wherever you run, I'll find you; even if you ran to the ends of the earth," he muttered to himself.
Branna, snap out of it! Hunter's mental cry broke her paralysis, and she started to crawl faster. Ryviern's footsteps were closing in on them.
A quick glance at Hunter showed the strained grimace on his face. Swiftly lining up against him, she gently wrapped one of his arms over her shoulders, easing his weight off his injured limb.
"What are you doing?"
"What does it look like, just lean against me."
Just leave me. You can still make it out of here, even his telepathy was shaky. Concern swept through her and she made a face.
Stop that! We're both getting out of here, you hear me!
However, what little luck they had soon ran out. Blocking their way was a dead end.
Who the hell designed this place!
It was meant to be confusing, it is a maze.
"Grrrrr…"
"Well, Raven, how you disappoint me. I thought you would at least make this futile chase interesting." Branna slowly turned to face the dragon, chin held high and proud. Hunter stared at the dark-haired man with impassivity. Ryviern quickly took in the pair before him, dismissing the injured vampire, and focusing his gaze on Branna. Maybe he needn't kill her yet, the impudent woman. Her fiery nature had caught his attention the first met her, and thoughts of breaking that strong will of hers was almost too hard to resist. With a leer, he approached the vampires.
Hiding his pain, Hunter drew himself up to his full height, only placing one hand on Branna's shoulder for leverage. Even from where he stood, he could feel the creature's barely leashed power. With one snap, he knew the beast could destroy them both. What have you awaken, Cale?
With a flick of his mind, Ryviern watched his victims hiss as the force whipped them back. He was about to hit the lame vampire with a final stroke but another scent caught his attention. Darshane.
Ryviern, I've found it! What the heck have you been doing?
Just one moment, I'm almost finished here.
Damn it, Ryviern, our covers blown! Can't you feel the other intruders!
Ryviern cursed as his wandering mind found the strangers that had infiltrated the building.
Forget them, we need to grab Dashear and the Wild Power and get away from here! Ryviern snarled, and gave Branna one last glance, and a promise that they would meet again. Then, he turned back the way he came.
What's he doing?
Hunter was just as confused, but he wasn't going to spend his time analyzing the weird turn of events. I don't care, let's just go! Thoughts of finding the scroll he needed soon fled his mind when he saw the damaged remains of the rest of the Archive. Branna tugged his arm, and he let her lead him away. Together they made their way back toward the front, careful of not running into the shapeshifter.
Ryviern and Darshane ran toward the entrance to the upper levels. Both were shocked to find Dashear's cell empty except for a corpse of an unfamiliar Night Worlder. However, they had no time to search for their former captive. Ryviern dismissed Dashear's disappearance as a mere nuisance, but Darshane was deeply unsettled by his brother's fast recovery and escape. It was another example of how his brother was more powerful than either of them had known. Then there was the strange burst power that Dashear had felt. Now it'll still remain a mystery, hopefully one that won't hurt them in the end.
Ryviern was busy calling his guards to him. Hopefully, the damn infiltrators haven't gotten to Kierlan yet. Mentally, he sent another troop of soldiers to take care of the ones he'd missed in the Library. Raven may get away, she knew that back ways better than most of his men. Well, he'll just have to make sure they meet again.
Branna and Hunter backtracked the way they came, and barely avoided Ryviern's troops as they tried to get as far away from the Archive as they could. Suddenly, Branna sighed in relief when she found a familiar passageway. She knew where to go now. The club exit was not an option. They'll have to take a back way out. Down the hall, they made a sharp left, and hid as some more soldiers rushed past their position in the shadows. Jeesh, Ryviern must have sound the alarm. The halls were teeming with his goons. Now, where the hell was that door? Creeping along the wall, her fingers swept over the rough stone, searching for the groove that would show them the hidden passage.
Too late she heard the footsteps and there was no place to hide. Positioning herself in a defensive stance, she waited. Hunter stiffened beside her as he too heard the approaching sound. They didn't have to wait long as Dominic, and the remainder of his men, rounded the corner. Branna rolled her eyes at the sense of déjà vu.
"I can't believe it! How the hell did you two get away from the dragon?"
"We flew," Branna quipped. Now it was Hunter's turn to roll his eyes.
Before any of them could respond, the pounding of numerous boots warned them of the approaching soldiers. Branna quickened her search for the switch. Her heart raced with adrenaline.
Dominic was about to forget the two vampires before him and leave them to Ryviern's men when Branna muttered a soft cry. He stared in awe as the wall gave way and a passageway appeared. Gesturing to his men, they followed the duo ahead of them, the wall sliding into place again, throwing them into darkness.
Cale was about at his wits end. Raven should have been here at least half an hour ago. Not only that but neither Ryviern, nor Kierlan have returned. His skin crawled, and his gut was telling him that something was horribly amiss. He was just about to call one of his guards when all hell broke loose.
The resounding boom shook the very foundations of the building. Keller and Kierlan held onto the door beams to stay upright. The next few moments went by fast as panic overtook the crowd. Amidst the terrified mix of humans Night Worlders, she could see fighting break out all over the room.
Kierlan right behind her, they tried to keep close to the walls so to avoid being crushed by the rush of people running to the doors. She couldn't find Winnie or Nissa anywhere. Damn it! Where was Dominic when she needed him!
Suddenly, a body appeared, blocking her way. Instantly going on the defensive, she readied herself for the fight. However, her eyes widened as she felt the scalding feeling of the dragon's power. Ryviern raised his arm to strike her, but he didn't get a chance.
There was a blue flash, and the dragon screamed, a mix of anguish and rage. His arm was a black mess. Keller whipped her head around to look at Kierlan. He barely glanced at her as he wiped his bloody knife on his pants. When he did look up, he said, "We better go. I don't think he liked that very much."
Pulling herself together, Keller numbly followed him, resolved to wait before interrogating Kierlan on his amazing control. She'd never seen him use his powers before, and the fact that he could call them so easily boggled her mind.
They were already moving fast toward the exit. A call from her right broke through her concentration. Suddenly Nissa and Winnie were there beside her. She was about to ask them if they were alright, but a blow to her side sucked her breath out of her. Ignoring the pain she blocked the second strike, focus narrowed on her assailant. Kicking her legs out, she swept the shapeshifter's legs from under him. A direct blow to his temple made sure he out by the time he hit the floor. Immediately he was lost under the sea of the panicked crowd.
Looking back at her teammates, she saw Nissa efficiently put down two more thugs. Winnie was shooting witchfire at any of the dragon's henchmen she saw. A new noise cut through the chaos of the fight. Sirens, shit!
Time to go, ladies, with a brisk nod to Nissa, She led the way out of the club. Fortunately, the frantic Night Worlders and humans provided enough cover for the retreating group.
"Galen's gonna meet us around this corner."
"Has he heard from Dominic yet?"
"No, he hasn't heard from anybody. Do you think Dominic got out another way?"
"I don't know. Last thing I heard from him was that he was following the dragon. Shit, that's who attacked us when all the fighting broke out!"
"You mean, Ryviern? If you had some guys following him, you'll be lucky if they're even alive."
"Dominic is a good agent, he can handle himself!" Winnie shot Kierlan a sharp glare.
"Maybe, but against a dragon?"
Before Winnie could respond, Keller butted in, "Look, we'll contact him when we can, but first let's concentrate on getting to Galen and reassembling our team." Silence followed her order, and the group quickly made their way to the rendezvous point.
xxxxxxxxx
"Where the hell are we going!" Dominic was at his wits end. The tunnel seemed to go on forever. However, the vampire bitch seemed to know where she was heading. He just wished he knew where that was. The pair looked like they'd been through an inferno. Hunter's cloak had long since been abandoned, and his shirt hung in ruins. Whatever bruises and cuts they had had healed. In all, they a pathetic looking bunch.
John had a hold on Hunter, who hobbled along. They had to break his leg again, because it was starting to heal and without a split, it would have healed wrong. Needless to say, Hunter was in a very foul mood. Branna kept glancing concerned looks back at him, but Dominic prevented her from helping him, keeping her at the front with him.
"The exit's not far, just a little ways more." She said this more for Hunter's benefit. Dominic gave a brisk nod. Scouring the surrounding area with his mind, he tried to find familiar brain signatures of the other Daybreakers. Sweat dribbled down his face as he concentrated on expanding his range.
All of a sudden, Branna stopped, breaking Dominic's focus. He shot an impatient look at she, which she ignored. Not even looking at him, her attention on the wall, Branna felt along the cool surface. Her fingers brushed against the semi-smooth surface, until they ran over a certain spot. The area was worn, almost slippery, by the constant rubbing over the centuries. She pushed, but the nothing happened. She added more strength and felt the door give under her pressure. The door slid back, and the keen smell of sewage permeated the tunnel.
The others followed her out into the more spacious tunnel. A stream of dark water ran in front of them; all they had to walk on was a narrow, slick ledge. The group hugged the wall, and inched their way down to where they could see an alcove.
Dominic sighed in relief at the moonlight that pooled down from the grate above. The sounds of New York filled their heads. He took the lead and climbed up the ladder, his foot slipped only a couple of times on the slimy rungs.
Branna cursed when he accidentally kicked her. However, hers couldn't match the obscenities Hunter was muttering. He refused help, but eventually had to concede that slippery bars and injured limbs did not make for an easy climb.
The grate was pushed out of the way, and the filthy bunch crawled out of the dank hole. Dominic realized that they were in an alley, and from the sounds of distant sirens he guessed that they had to be several blocks from the club. Just how far and wide did the underground system run? He gave a signal to the others to stay back, and ignored the "not like we have a choice," from an irritated Branna.
He scanned the street. Police cars kept flying down the road to where he could make out the fiery disaster that was once the Dark Menagerie. Frantic humans milled about. All the Night Worlders had made themselves scarce when the sirens were heard.
Once he knew where he was, Dominic sent out a call to any of his agents, and found a very frustrated witch.
xxxxxxxxx
Hello, Winnie
Winnie squeaked at the unexpected voice in her head, which caught everyone's attention.
"What is it, Winnie? Is it Dominic?" Keller demanded. The embarrassed witch nodded her head. Her eyes were distant as Dominic told her his location.
In a bewildered tone, Winnie said, "He said that he's just a few blocks down from the club, near Norfolk Street."
"How'd he get over there? We didn't see him leave the club," this came from a vampire to Keller's left. Over the past several minutes, only eight out of the other nineteen agents made it to the meeting point. "He most likely found an underground exit. Did he say if he had any others with him?"
"He lost two agents, but there are four others that are with him. He said that he has a surprise for you."
"Really, well let's go see this surprise then shall we?"
She, Winnie, Nissa, and Kierlan took one van. Galen drove. The rest piled into the SUV behind them. A third car took position at the end of the train. They took the side streets to avoid the crowd in front of the burning remains of the club.
Dominic wore a grim expression as Keller walked up to him. "You look like shit," then her nose wrinkled, "and smell like worse."
"Thanks. You would too if you had to wander through grimy hallways and sewers."
"Humph, so where's my surprise?" Dominic held his arm out, and pointed behind him. Keller followed his arm, and her eyes widened when she saw the couple surrounded by the two Daybreak agents. They got even wider when recognition hit her. Hunter stared back unfazed by the attention he was getting. He just wanted to get to some place where there was a nice bed, a shower, and healers. However, he mentally grumbled at the fact that most likely a cold, dark cell awaited him.
Hunter and Branna were stuffed into the main van. Kierlan looked at her with a shocked expression when she was seated in front of him. Hunter sat down beside her, with Dominic on his right. An amused grin appeared on Branna's face at all the hard looks that were directed at her and her companion. Keller got in last. As soon as the door closed, they were off. A jet would meet them just outside the city. Keller couldn't wait to see the looks on the Alliance members' faces when she brought Hunter Redfern to them.
xxxxxxxxx
Ramon let out a sigh of relief as soon as he got in the third car. The female shapeshifter didn't sense him. Then again not many dragons had his control. Ryviern and Darshane must have been so surprised when they found a dead vampire instead of him. He wondered if they managed to find the scrolls before everything got destroyed.
As their little train left the city boundaries, he let his eyes rest, his lips lifted into a small grin. He'll stay with these Daybreakers, and maybe he'll find out more about the mage. His grin turned into a hungry leer as thoughts of finding and claiming the woman that occupied his mind. The taste of her blood had only whetted his desire, and his body screamed for more. He succumbed to his fantasies, and slept as the unsuspecting Daybreakers helped him towards his goal.
AN-Yay! Chapter 6 is finally done! I hope you enjoyed it. I'll let you know about my progress on the following chapters on my bio page.