Constantine the Laughing Magician Presents – Life in the Real World –
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Chapter 20: Into the Vampire's Castle Fortress; Wish Us the Best of Luck in Ever Showing Up!
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My stubby teeth chattered .
"I meant to have a summoning circle, my bad."
Zee shifted her eyes to the doorway that would be our first step into becoming this world's false protectors.
Dead.
I hated the sound of it. Just the aching, waking essence of my very being, spilled blood pooling round our bodies as we saved a barbaric race of cave dwelling life stealers…. How did I agree to this – oh, they sort of convinced me.
Right.
"Dead as in…we should be very close to the real thing." The midnight nurse was sure we'd already crossed the void of time and reality. I obliged her while Zee made our way into the Count's castle as his dragon enemies fought with the wallop of a dozen fighter jets.
Magic and super – impressive feats as the vamp army had to show of itself, they were bound to lose in number as the dragons were…well, quite large. I don't think this war can be turned in the Count's favor, yet if they have some secret weapon placed beneath the tunnels and catacombs of his keep?
I'd bet on seeing more species go extinct or try to break the barrier between the waking world and time space itself.
"We are being expected, why sneak in?"
"A war is happening behind us!"
A slap my face.
What? Bugger off, my inhibitions!
"Don't think a sneak attack is a likely way to enter the throne room, lov. I'd take it we were never supposed to come as a bunch."
"He wanted you, right? Would you not have –
Zee pursed her lips, and I sucked in a breath.
Busted…. bollocks.
"You…you were going to come here, alone?? Are you seriously putting on the biggest lie…..I can't bel –
"There!"
The midnight nurse or Liza pointed in a harsh whisper at the feet approaching only, feet from US.
" Shite! Right, then. Invisibility…"
I took in a breath, yet Zee had me to hold my tongue.
" I've got it." As a wand user, she was…not a fan of being without her props. I was taught to use everything as an instrument, that could be said for Zee when she got seriously down to the nitty gritty of her work as a Justice League standby heroine.
We had blended into the wall by Zee's powers, as the magical beasties turned out to look more like noble men than demons from the dead lands of myth an' folkloric legend.
I can't swipe off the sweat from my caked brow; to give us away, you'd be calling this walking into a den of vampires – which is why we can't –
As the world doth turn, Zee decides to have an allergic reaction to dust while good old Lizzie the nurse, takes her hand up –
"But we fall flat of our timing and the jig is up, mates."
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" Uncle C! What in the world happens to you?? Tell us, pretty please!"
"Yeah, Dad! Mum can tell it better!"
"Zee? Will you kindly take this one, need a few sips before I'm of to the rack…" John chuckled and ruffled his son's hair and had to get himself a glass of something to beat the heat. A camping trip with old friends was a smash hit for his mates and the love of his life.
Yet, having a family now…that is where his story became legend as Mrs. Zatanna Constantine picked up the story with the eyes of a child in her soul.
"So, there we all were. I had given away our position, when all of that seemed…too good to call us dead yet. Sheer luck! So, listen close, Andrew. M'ari. (Yes. That M'ari. Lol!)
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So, there we were…
About to be stricken with such dread, had the king's few advisors not been so…
Well – behaved, especially around Zee and Liza.
"We'd recognize that scowl anywhere in time. We do hope you didn't startle. The war outside is dreadfully frightening."
A deep, voice to rattle your mortal bones and words to smithereens, poor Zee had to block his advances.
"We were led into the castle, and we do apologize for entering without an escort. The war outside was, pretty exciting…" Zee had to act a bit polite, even to this blood thirsty womanizing –
"Ah, and the hero has arrived!" One robed figure looked oh….oh!
"By gods…. you're the one!!" I put a clammy hand to my skull. "You summoned us, bloke."
"That I did, Constantine. My name is Head Advisor Dietrich. You are to follow, we'll be down to your business very soon, I assure the young ladies as well."
The staff all murmured between one another.
"Quiet. It hath been decided that we shall not bicker. Now."
The summoner from before was on our side, I hoped. Even if Zee thought his friends were too eager to have a taste of her magic power, she played it cool all the way to the throne room.
"Just wait, and you shall meet our leader. He will decide your fate, and he will decide if you are worthy to continue with negotiating peace between the dragon and Vampir nation."
Cute, they had a little address to themselves; not being human once, they'd abandoned all of that to become under- lords or gods in a way I cannot tell…
Zee is quiet too, yet Liz is analyzing everything about this castle. I just don't want a vampire maiden in bed with me if they try to pull that crap. I heard that Hellboy dealt with em in another era as well. Mess that was, mates…
(To verify; John is telling a story to us that sounds inappropriate, but to his different audiences, not being only his kid and Grayson's daughter, recall his travels and living a long time. So, to us, it is told in many ways and to, many groups. Once the story hits a climax, it's going to happen again. Just you wait.) VERY IMPORTANT.
The vamp leads up into the main rooms, the throne alight with the moon's suitable touch. A kiss good night to the "children" of the night.
If lady Luna is so forgiving, will that –
A presence has our heads reeling. I lean over to avoid dragging out a hock, while Zee covers her nose.
Carcasses…The smell is so very rancid that I think Liz turned down her receptors to feel just to spite us both.
Zee uses a small charm to try the same trick, yet I am left to stifle it, to bring it all in as I gasp back my precious life.
A figure comes out and away, the blood on its fangs is that not of a virgin, yet a child.
I have to hold my nose even tighter. No more than the Phys eating people skin and bone, alive. Or blowing up from chili peppers…
Or Nergal's sewer hide away in Hong Kong.
Dead gods…I think I've gone blind but yet, no.
I see red eyes. Sets of twenty to none.
All inside the chamber, feasting .
"Sir. We have brought you the man requested for the job of soothing the beasts trying to behead us."
Such a speech made that red eyed vamp make me want to behead the chap that dared put it in a pretty picture for us.
Wanker.
"Excellent, Julius…. You may leave. Stay, only you. Constantine. We, must do some…catching up."
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"It's true then, Count." I let the doors shut and then use a pinch of potent elixir in my pocket to take away the rank odor from the room. He seems to sneer at my magic, but bloody hell, indeed! I'm not standing in a morgue much longer than I have to.
"We may then speak; you brought a demon and a sorceress to stand beside you." He went to sit by his throne. A young vampire maiden offering his clothin –
Oh, sweet mercy!
He was naked and this… is a vampire orgy scene….
How did I not spot that one??
He just casually waited on my answer, slacks on and boots…. was he wearing a pair of leather undies?
No, not in his life time. I never want to see a demon cock in all my years…bleedin'….
"Majesty…"
I can't very well stop gawking, yet I ca distract im' with my catty nature.
"The dragons are quite…. large and, my magic might subdue a couple, though what I see are fields ravaged and razed as well as a many good soldiers lost. A treaty would be a probable solution, yet…"
He sure had a long beard, just like in the stories, yet was… –
Shite!
No magic words can undo this lot's ways…. damn it all…. Won't…be…cursed.
Tell yourself that, and you'll be joining a cult in the near future.
I had to follow on, just watch my arse hardly…. He was staring…
"True, the ones fighting will die." He looked to the maiden before grabbing her squealing form and cracking her neck.
The sound rattled my bones, even if I was technically only temporarily, dead.
"Yet, if you cannot perform as your recommendation hath stated to I, then what good is it to try for peace when sacrifice is only necessary? They are animals, we out rank their hides any day." The dead servant fell and hit her head, already dead upon arrival.
Another came, a boy from the village in chains as the vamp coaxed him over. His small unclad feet moving out of fear.
I suddenly didn't want anything to do with this shite bastard.
The man carded through the kid's short locks as his prey shuddered and climbed up onto the count's lap.
"Your kind find me a warlord, not as a king whom holds order to all of Vampir kind. You see, the fight began over more than land and pride, dear Constantine. It began, over our familiar… food source."
The boy arched up to bear his throat as my eyes shut to it.
CRRUNCH ….
He sat up after that, in a stupor. The count still carding through those locks of auburn as the boy's eyes soon turned to amber in my own. Half lidded and completely lost in the count's commands.
So, he was hungry for the enslavement of humanity.
"You do know, for I can read it on your face…this boy is just one of many that I've marked to keep the dragons aware that they may not claim any to become their riders or even fodder. That right of a meal is left to the human's mammalian livestock, yet the lizard clan could be satisfied with only the meat of an ewe."
In other words, he dangled the reason, this…. monster king had told the dragons that the humans were vampire bait. Off limits, which had ticked off an entire nation of fire breathers.
Not , fodder for the dragons of olden days.
"Take him back to his mother." The count called to a miss in the room as the dead eyed child left the count's clad lap – thank gods!
I still felt torn on whom to aid; the man who had tempted an entire race of flying ancient creatures to stop killing innocent humans, or the creatures who wanted man to become its supper until the whole of mortals they'd taken were bred as cattle to satisfy many an army in this messed up reality.
I wanted to purge out my thoughts to Zee, tell her that his rule was too strong. That our magic alone wasn't enough.
"You, hesitate?"
Had I not forgotten the mind reading.
Bloody shite, he's good…
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Gets dark, but will the magi decide to leave or trick both sides into letting the humans live? Find out!