Cirque Du Freak Zachariah Saga Chapter 4
Gripping the rims of my brown cloak I trudge through the layers of snow. As freezing winds fiercely collides with Vancha's and my back we continue to march. Continuing our venture to Vampire Mountain our vision clears in the blizzard and appearing before our eyes is a miniature cave by the side of a mountain. Realizing the way-station Vancha and I swiftly rush inside the cave where we are protected from the sub-zero environment. Shivering violently and breathing warmly on the palms of my hand, working in vain to keep warm. With two petite flasks of blood in Vancha's hand, Vancha drinks one while he gives me the other, and I drink letting the crimson blood warm me from the inside.
"How's the Vampire Mountain weather?" Vancha asked grinning from ear to ear.
"Cold...Freezing...Chilly..." I groaned not finding any enjoyment in my master's sarcasm.
"Well at least your honest!" Vancha boomed slapping his hand to my back sending shockwaves through my entire back.
"How long do we need to continue walking on this bloody trail..." I groaned once more losing all my patience.
"Heh, didn't know your generation still said bloody," Vancha jeered while I gave him a "I'm waiting" stare. "Well at the rate we're traveling now, it'll take us maybe a few more weeks," Vancha explained looking at the blizzard.
With a sigh I go and lie down on the rugged, rocky terrain. Sometimes I tried to go to sleep just so I can wake up and find myself waking up some place else other than this accursed area. Recalling the events before Vancha's "big news." Of course Clair couldn't follow us to Vampire Mountain so she stayed at one of Vancha's friends houses. It all seemed like an illusion being a human teenager, going to high school, and just being normal. During the time I was lamenting about my past life Vancha had already been knocked out snoring loudly. With another sigh I go to sleep so I can go another day traveling to Vampire Mountain in another day of my life as a half-vampire.
By the time Vancha and I had awoken up the blizzard was no more and both of us were running across the snow. After a few hours of traveling the two of us rest up on an open field covered with snow. While Vancha was biting his toe nails as usual I go ahead and search for some food. Hiding behind some bare trees I stalk my prey. The doe was chocolate color with white specks of fur adorning her brown coat. As the doe patiently ate grass that was popping out of the snow I patiently stalked the animal. Waiting for the perfect moment and then I struck.
My extra sharp fingernails dug into the sides of the doe's neck while the animal screeched from fright. With my knee on top of the doe not letting it escape I grab its head with both my hands and twist quickly clockwise and twist again counter-clockwise. Crack! Unsheathing the knife strapped behind my waist I go and cut open the animal's stomach and quickly gut it out and I throw away the entrails for the wolves to feast on. I grab a hold of the doe and walk back to the camp site while a pack of wolves came to feed on the leftovers behind me.
Trudging through the snow back to the camp site Vancha was waiting training with a tree landing blows with his fists and feet. I put down our game and Vancha turns around noticing my presence.
"Nice catch you got here," Vancha said grinning with hunger in his eyes as my master goes down and skins the animal. Stripping some flesh from the carcass Vancha eats and after giving respect by letting Vancha eat first I accompany him as well. As both of us eat, filling our stomachs and the food warming the both of us, I look upon the large mountain in the landscape. The mountain where I can prove my worth as a vampire of good standing seemed closer and closer, and after our meal Vancha and I continued on our quest.
After weeks of traversing harsh lands of snow, rock, and forest we finally made it to Vampire Mountain. The mountain's tip piercing at the end of the full round moon made it seem colossal. Vancha, without a moment's hesitation, entered the mountain anxiously wanting to return to his vampiric home. Following behind I expected the innards of the mountain to be pitch dark, but there were patches of light from the walls and ceilings, illuminating the insides of the caves and pathways. As I looked closer inside the lights I could see spreads of fungi.
"Those are luminous lichen they are a special type of fungi that give off light to the mountain where we don't have torches," Vancha explained with his index finger raised, like a school instructor.
"That's pretty cool," I said my eyes widening from the exotic features of the mountain.
"Just wait till we actually enter," Vancha chuckled.
As we continued through the path, the both of us halted at a large wooden gate with two guards both dressed in green leather and a spear gripped on their gloved palms. The weapons sent a wave of nervousness, but of course Vancha just walks to the guards not having a care in the world.
"Who goes there!" the guard on the left bellows with his spear pointed towards us.
"Peace, it is I," Vancha calmly states with his right hand up making a gesture for the guards to calm down. As my teacher's voice was heard by the guards they quickly eased and pointed their spear toward me.
"And who is this?" the other guard questions his spear's pointing toward my abdomen.
"He is my assistant and I vouch for him," Vancha explains.
Slamming the ends of their spears on the ground to signal the gates to be open they yell out "Vancha Harst and his assistant are recognized!" and the doors to Vampire Mountain are open. And the both of us walk inside.
The enormous hall was adorned with weapons on walls, long tables, and rows of candles and torches. Walking inside further there were a few people talking and discussing drinking from a mug or arm wrestling. But the most noticeable feature of the hall was a gigantic black board with thousands of names written on white chalk and a lot more space to be used. I had to concentrate so my jaw wouldn't be open wide while I examined the hall.
"This is the Hall of Osca Velm, the hall of welcoming," Vancha explains breathing the vampiric smells with his nostrils.
"Is Osca Velm, a vampire?" I ask still looking at the hall.
"Yes, most of the halls are named from vampires of good standing or really famous ones," Vancha explained walking through the hall.
At the side of the hall was a room with shoes, clothes, and other accessories. I walked in to change my clothing and picked out a simple sleeveless black shirt, camouflage pants that ended at the shins, and a crimson jacket with a high collar, black cufflinks, and a long coat tail. After picking out my clothes I also saw a basket filled with a variety of shoes. Selecting a simple pair of white and red converse, I walked out of the room and ran back to Vancha who was waiting for me.
Continuing our march in the mountain, Vancha and I kept on walking until we reached a large dome with two guards with the same uniforms and weapons as before. As we approached the large dome the two guards halted us and forced us to take off our shoes and they inspected us for any weapons and the ones that we did have had to be left behind. After our inspection was over Vancha and I continued toward the hall and from the corner of my eye it seemed as though the two guards let out a deep sigh of relief.
Continuing on our walk we enter the large dome and hundreds or thousands of vampires were in the seats whispering and talking. In the very back of the dome there were three thrones, two were occupied by vampires. The one on the left had a bald head with tattoos of arrows on the sides of his head and was burly and muscular. He looked like Hulk Hogan if he was injected with steroids, shaved his head and mustache, and got tattoos. The other vampire sitting on a throne had long black hair, black clothing, and even black eyes which showed no sign of life or happiness. If a crow could take human shape it would most likely look exactly like him.
"Vancha, you're late..." the long black haired vampire scowled.
"Sorry, the trek took a bit longer than I thought it would," Vancha chuckled scratching his head.
"Well better late than never, we've kept your throne warm for you," the other vampire on a throne said.
"Why thank you Prince Arrow and Prince Mika," Vancha grinned and walked up the 5 steps to the three thrones in the very back of the whole hall and took a seat at the middle throne. While raising his left foot and chewing on his toe nail and spitting out a loogie straight into a porcelain pot. My jaw was fully ajar and my brain did not want to register what was fully obvious. "Prince Vancha has returned!" my rude, crude, and dirty master boomed.