Warnings: Violence and sap small amounts though.
Disclaimer: Not mine...darn
Notes: ...My proof reader died...damn little snake...okay so this chappie is really bad..I'll reup it when she proofs it...but other wise, have fun reading.
Oh yes and thanks to everyone who reviewed...about the japanese issue...sigh I plan the dialogue out in my head in jap...so umm it slips...and I don't know it only seems to disrupt the flow if you can't understand it...or is that just me?
Chapter 2: Blood Memories
The screen flickers. Statistics, codes ran through it in a multitude of colour. A silent figure sat in front of the screen memorizing the data that passed across it. "Are you done studying me?" eyes soften as his face broke into a smile. "Really, Virgil, sneaking around your own house, what would the others say?"
Virgil Walsh smiled in return as he walked into the room, "they won't say anything, after all, no one knows." Standing behind the chair, Virgil slid his hands around until they wrapped loosely around the thin shoulders of the chair's occupant. His expression changed as worry clouded over his features, "You're not feeding," it was a statement not a question, "I'm sorry."
"It can't be helped," Laughter spilled from the pale lips, "I never expected you not to interfere. You're not like me after all, ambitious to a fault. No, you're far too kind." Pale hands reached up and grasped Virgil's arms, "anyways, no plan survives the first attack as they say. Don't worry. It's merely a minor set back after all. We're fine, just delayed."
"Will you at least eat?"
"Yes I think I will. It's the only way to make you stop pestering me."
Waiting was something necessary, yet so boring. The Astharoth, the Duchess of Kiev hated waiting, but being her majesty's loyal servant there wasn't much choice at the moment. Standing in the audience chamber, she sighed and began to re-count the city's towers through the glass windows. A sharp pain in her leg, stopped her count at 153, and she looked down in time to see a dart attached to her thigh before her vision greyed and she fell.
Her head throbbed. It was debatable whether that was caused by whatever drug she was hit with or her rather ungraceful fall. Keeping her breathing deep and steady Astharoth feigned unconsciousness as she took in her surroundings through her other senses. Whatever she was lying on was cold hard and damp, it had ridges that felt like cobble stones and very little light showed through her eyelashes. It was a good bet that she was in some form of dungeon, but where? The only thing that was clear to her was that whoever had done this, was an idiot, kidnapping a noble of the Empire right out of the Empress' audience chamber was insanity! What was worse, she wasn't even restrained.
A small sigh alerted her to the presence of another in the room, and soft voice murmured, "Really, it's not as if I can't hear you heart beat speeding up you know."
Giving up al pretences Astharoth opened her eyes and rolled to her feet, away from the direction of that voice. At the same time taking in the forbidding looking room, searching for any exits. The figure that greeted her from across the room was completely unexpected. "How…? What is the meaning of this, why kidnap me?"
"Well, let's just say that your particular talents have become very useful to our cause. At this point in time, we need all the advantageous we can get." Seth smiled as she stood up and walked out the door and into the dark hallways. "Come with me."
"But why kidnap me…?"
"Well I can't let you know everything about the palace now can I? That would be a huge security leak since you are far too good at breaking in." Seth's laughter echoed in halls as she walked on.
The wind was bitterly cold as Caterina stepped out onto the platform of the Iron Maiden. The battle ship hummed as the powerful engines prepared for takeoff and the Cardinal once again thought about how bad an idea it was to take a battleship to a diplomatic conference. However, they no longer had the luxury of choice, it was either show whatever strength they had or risk looking vulnerable. That vulnerability was not something the Vatican could afford to show in its current situation.
To make matters worse, she had been forced to take knights from the Inquisition with her, her dear brother had insisted, to make things worse the Pope had actually supported him. So she found herself on her way to a Vampire capital with people she didn't trust to watch her back. At least Havel and Sister Kate were with her. Too bad Tres was unavailable because he was going through his yearly maintenance. She would had welcomed Gunslinger's coldly logical personality or lack there of on this mission.
A shimmer and Sister Kate's hologram was beside her, "Would it make you more comfortable if I confined the Inquisition to their quarters?" She queried softly, "I'm perfectly capable of doing that, after all I don't take orders from your brother."
Turning around, Caterina smiled, "No, that won't be necessary. This mission will be hard enough without making enemies out of allies." She sighed, worn and tired, "It would help if I knew what we were dealing with. Besides the letter of good will and their intentions to form a treaty, we have no idea where we stand with this new Empire."
"In times like these Sister Noelle's talents would be a god send." The hologram of Sister Kate flickered as she tried to smile encouragingly, "Well, according to our information, they have a very organized government in the form of a tribunal. However, it is an empire, so there is one person who holds the power to make all final decisions. We have no information on the identity of this person as of yet."
"So I have no idea who I will be dealing with."
"A definitive disadvantage to us, unfortunately. We have also confirmed that their level of technology is very close to revelling that of the New Human Empire's in sophistication."
Havel, who just arrived, sighed, leaning against the entrance to the platform, "Great more bad news."
Caterina wholly agreed. If the demonstration against Cain's battleship was any indication, the Iron Maiden might as well be for show. She sighed again as the ship took off into the sky.
Lighting a cigarette, Isaak took a long drag before slowly exhaling the silver smoke into the dimly lighted room. There wasn't much he didn't understand, however when it came to a certain brunette, Isaak Fernand Von Kampfer was stumped. He never understood Dietrich and he never will; more is the pity. However he had no time for regrets as soft footsteps sounded behind him. Isaak wheeled his chair around so he was facing his benefactor. "The Vatican has sent their ambassador to Shiloh in their battle-ship, the Iron Maiden, I believe."
The statuesque blonde before him just smiled, "Yes I know, they're desperate to retain any small amount of control they have. Are all our plans in order?"
Stubbing out his cigarette Isaak replied, "Of course, everything is in place. Oh yes, your brother has been sighted in Shiloh."
"Good." This time Cain's smiled showed his fangs.
Dreams and memories were no longer separate for him. They blended together so he no longer knew what was real and what was merely a figment of his imagination. The soft smile, softly spoken words, blurred so they no longer held meaning. The body of the one he loved, however, did. Held out to him like a present, a triumph, as if it ended all the troubles of the world, was a nightmare. One, that made him scream in denial.
Abel jerked awake, bolting up from bed only to realize that, yet again it had been only a dream. Dropping his head into his arms Abel sobbed. Ever since Elise had touched him, memories he had buried for so long had resurfaced to plague his dreams. Memories, that were so faded he could hardly tell if they were real, but every-night he would see them, replaying in his mind.
Tonight was different. He knew why he had dreamed tonight. A bomb had gone off in the market place as he and Ion stood in front of the church. Mass panic had ensued, that is until rows upon rows of Methuselahs filled the street. They organized people and directed them away from the origin of the bomb. The area was cordoned off quickly and efficiently, the culprit was easily identified as it would seem the entire market square had been monitored from afar. Then again, it wasn't difficult; as soon as the Methuselahs grabbed him; he had begun ranting and raving.
He was an extremist that believed it was better to die then to live under the rule of vampires. It didn't matter that he had just blown up a market full of humans and vampires alike. No, the only thing that mattered was that he was doing God's work by ridding the world of abominations. A plague, as he put it, which was spreading throughout the world and whoever support vampires should burn in hell with them.
Once the guards had the man under control, he was herded towards the town square that he had just demolished. The crowd moved with guards, angry and frightened. Ion pulled Abel into the crowd and pushed their way through, heading for the town square as well.
Having finally reached the square the guards pushed the man into the centre of the destruction he had wrought. It was sight that Abel would never forget. Bodies of Methuselahs and humans alike littered the ground. None had survived the blast. Limbs had been ripped off, body parts had been completely demolished, and in some cases it was impossible to tell what was what. Silver nitrate ran in rivulets, burning away flesh on the Methuselah corpses, running onto the chard ground like silver blood. Nothing within a ten meter radius could have survived that blast. The ground was soaked in blood, toys, merchandise, and personal items all covered in blood. It was a horrifying testament to the suffering that had occurred.
One of the guards, their captain Abel assumed because his uniform was slightly more decorated than the others, pushed the bomber to his knees and forced him look at bodies. It was impossible to see the Methuselah's face since it was obscured by a heavy cloth wrap that was pulled around his head and over his nose, leaving only his eyes visible. He bent down and spoke to the man, it should have been impossible to hear, but Abel's enhanced hearing caught every word.
"So, you're doing god's work are you? Take a look around you, and look at the innocent people you killed. Some of them had families, some of them supported families, others may have been criminals, but they didn't deserve to die like this." Fury was leaking into the quiet voice, even a fool would have heard it, "You complain about living in a world dominated by vampires? Well then, let me show you what it is really like, I'll show you with what we do to those that hurt our own. You took away their right to live and so I'll take yours. But before you die, I want to you to think about what you have done and know why you'll burn in hell."
Here, the Methuselah picked up a sliver of shrapnel, a metal support from a vendor's stall. In one quick motion he impaled the man kneeling on the ground from the upper back and through the thoracic cavity. The metal went through flesh, snapping bones and finally penetrated the ground on the other side. Blood splattered every where. The wound was inflicted carefully as not to produce massive bleeding, but it was fatal, especially if not treated. However, it was a wound that would take a very long time to kill. The metal was pushed all the way into the ground, pinning the bomber like a bug in a display case, he would die looking at the bodies of the dead. A final tribute to the dead, justice for the wrongs inflicted upon them.
As the crowd dissipated, Abel and Ion were once again greeted by the girl who had spoken to them at the foot of the church. She offered them a place to stay and since they had no money, they agreed. Abel was still in adzed as they walked, the voice of that guard was vaguely familiar but he could not place it. As they walked away from the market square, the procession of Methuselahs passed by them and Abel met the eyes of their leader beneath his cloak, they were a cold steel grey and very familiar.
Even now as he sat in bed those eyes haunted him, those cold eyes and the faces of the dead past and present. Dropping his head into his hands, Abel sobbed, the pain overwhelming him.
Harsh knocking at the door jarred him from his internal anguish.
It was the guards that were employed by the governing body of Shiloh. In fact it was the same group from this morning. Abel had a sinking feeling that this had something to do with him as he stood at the top of the stairs; while the girl spoke to their leader.
"We're here for the priest." He was saying, "He is in violation with our policies."
The little girl replied softly, "He's a travelling priest. It is possible he doesn't know that priests are not allowed in Shiloh as of yet."
Those piercing eyes looked straight at Abel from the doorway, "Never-the-less, Father we need you to come with us."
Abel sighed as some of the guards escorted him down stairs. It was strangely familiar, he felt as though he was back in Istvan, under the lock and key, as Gyula had him taken away. Weakly he protested, "Is this really necessary? I'm just a humble priest."
"What is going on here?" Ion stood at the top of the stairs, sword in hand and glaring, his red eyes practically glowing in the dark. "Why are you arresting him?"
Cold steel grey eyes locked onto Ion's red ones, "do not interfere in affairs that you have no knowledge of, Duke of Memphis." His eyes shifted to Abel before continuing, "Children should listen to their elders, not run away from home whenever it suits their fancy."
Abel saw Ion's hand tighten on the sword hilt and hastily stammered, "Ano, please don't…" But it was too late. Ion was already down the stairs, sword raised. The larger Methuselah merely stepped out of the way. One hand grabbed Ion's wrist and twisted, while the other tightened around his throat. Dangling Ion by the throat he smashed the blonde into the nearest wall.
"Listen to me, and listen well." The larger Methuselah snarled, "You're in deeper waters then you know. Your Grandmother and her Majesty, Augusta Vradica has ordered you to go home. If you're smart, you'll do exactly that, or else you might not make it out of this alive."
"Esther-sama where are you going?" The soft words echoed in the empty Ghettos that once held the Methuselah population of Albion.
The young queen sighed heavily and wrapped the cloak tighter around her small frame, "I'm going to Shiloh. I need to talk to Virgil."
Her half sister sighed, "Will you at least let me accompany you?" Mary was worried; Shiloh was not by any means friendly towards Albion, strange since Esther wanted nothing else but to live in peace with the vampires.
"No, you need to stay here and take care of everything." The petite red head smiled, "Don't worry, the Vatican has sent their own representatives, and so I'll be perfectly safe." With she disappeared down an empty hallway, leaving Mary in the darkness of the Ghetto.
"I hope to God you're right, Esther-sama."
Ah I'm assuming everyone know that "sama" is an honourific right???? hmm more cliffies sorry...