Tamaera diSaloni stood by the window, looking out over the town that called itself a city. Radixium knew nothing of the hordes wandering streets and alleys the southern continent used to inure her to humanity's worst things. Behind her the heavy black wool drapes stirred in the gusts tossed by clouds out over the desert, dropping rains to die in the sky before reaching the ground in dark "v" shapes under their white and grey anvils. To the distant east lay her old homeland, where the flags of pirates and bandits ruled over petty princedoms.
A long exhale was all her comment on this place. Burns only half healed on her left arm pained her working between. Wounds taken to protect the master when some fool's act exposed their presence in the great city of the Plains of Domorushtuu. She licked her lips entering the soft yellow light tossed by the oil lamps. Tied to the chair, gagged, was the fool and two of her fellow Blood Drinkers.
"You betrayed the master, Shelani." Golden hair danced above terrified blue eyes as the fool denied her guilt. Eyes that widened when Tamaera lay her steely nails against tear stained cheek softly. "No. Be proud of the ruin you wrought." Metal talons followed the tears, seeking the cliff of a pale jawline.
The two cultists laughed as shivers of lust sparked into their prisoner, despite her fear. The woman on the left caressed an exposed breast. "Feast of flesh and blood? Or what has the master planned for this traitor." Her voice was sultry,
"Oh, the master has plans. Plans for us all. The Cult of Blood shall revive, and soon." Tamaera cooed, running metal sheaths over her nails along her prey's jaw teasingly. "Bur until the master awakes, she is not to be more than touched lightly." A single metal nail broke the skin of soft, white jaw, leaving a faint red mark to slowly seep blood.
The blond wept. Around her the two standing guard stepped into her sight. Lips pulled back from teeth of bronze. She struggled more.
"Foolish slut. The master gave you so much, Kaisha. So much." Again the steely nails glided along the woman's jaw, stopping to nip and spread the cut made earlier. "All you had to do was be silent, and the greatest city in the world would have been ours. But you spoke to those of laws and ethics. Justicars."
Kaisha flinched suddenly at that word. Her attempts to plead for mercy or answer the charge with denials muffled by the gag.
"No, my little slut. We know it was you who spoke to them. They bragged about their golden haired turncoat in our midst." Metal nail nicked the other side of the jaw. "And only you knew where the master kept the forbidden books. Now we are damned to never be completed."
Rivers of tears raced along Kaisha's nose. She raised her head, trying to impale her throat on the blood tipped talon. Tamaera jerked her hand back, hissing.
"No. You will not spoil our fun, you little northern whore." She turned, lifting a sheet off two books.
"See, we can finish the rites tonight. And start yours, slut." Left hand danced in the air and the guards responded, tossing back the hoods of their robes. The woman's face was perfection, button nose, smooth soft skin and full, pouting lips that begged a mouth to devour them. Her partner invoked horror. His face skin was still human, but above there was no hair or scalp. Only a crystal dome replacing flesh and bone,
Muffled screams turned her lips upwards. "Yes, scream all you wish. We are in a place they expect it, foolish slut." Rather than enjoy the sight of the many small cuts to the traitor's flesh, Tamaera swayed gracefully into the far end of the room. More curtains moved amid breezes there, heavy canvas dyed midnight black. Parting them swiftly, letting them drop back after passing them.
Inside rested an elaborate casket of polished walnut decorated liberally by ebony inlays. Sigils and runes of warding and safety, Tamaera knew. Each with a purpose. She caressed the glossy woods. "Master, we have her."
Sharp clicks marked latches unlocked from within. Stepping back, she reveled in the dim candlelight at the form revealed by the rising lid. Morlo was not tall, nor muscular. He was, however, eternal in his appearance. Youthful face, if marred by death's ashen color, dark haired, with immaculately trimmed facial hair ringing only his mouth. Nude, save the amethyst necklace, he appeared gaunt, nothing feeding upon Kaisha could not solve, she thought.
Inside the deep sunk sockets, eyes opened. The orbs bulged a bit, a sign long times between feasts for the vampire. Lips pulled back, revealing pointed teeth, not just eye-teeth, but all. Indigo tongue caressed each one gently, before laving lips with a faint trace of thick saliva.
Soft words barely heard over the choked cries from beyond canvas walls. "Very good, my child. The trust in you never fails giving a return."
Talon length nails clicked loud, a calm moment falling. Even the most terrified victims must take breaths. Great effort needed expending for upright position. Panting from the effort, he glared angrily. "Jzhan still rides high amid the clouds. Why now, Tamaera?"
"All you asked is done. You told me you would need time to ready the spell." Her hand rested lightly on her master's for a moment. "The smith agreed to meet you, after sunset as you wished."
Mouth corners rose slightly, baring more sharp teeth. "I sense some worries in your heart."
Turning away, Tamaera spoke softly. "He knows something, or suspects. He demanded daylight, until I flattered him with your wish to thank him personally."
Morlo's laugh rang hollowly. "He suspects. But elves vanity always wins out over their better sense in the end." He rose from the dirt lining the floor of his casket, brushing off dust carefully. "Yes, he suspects. We must allay his fears. The best way, to have some other attack across the city." Smiling, eyes suddenly flashing a soft violet, his body rose over the lip, drifting down to the floor. Dust cascaded from Morlo's form, appearing to fall through him.
Tamaera lifted a robe, holding it while he slid his arms into it. She trembled at the thought of the night to come, the dark powers unleashed then bound to her master's will.
Taking cloth from her hands brusquely, Morlo pushed out his senses. "The storms climb over the mountains. Good. Soon a few will shroud Jzhan enough for me to soothe our petty elven smith. Until I shatter those calm waters he calls animas with eternal slave chains."
Without the curtains, a single scream tore past Kaisha's gag. Not loud enough to garner attention, at least not in a brothel catering to tastes a bit twisted. Tamaera winced, thinking of the awful tortures the master's beasts performed last time they fed.
Chill of death laced through her shoulder when Morlo's bony hand rested there. "Relax, child. your fate will be different. Soon you will know immortality and power. I swear this, Tamaera diSaloni. By the bloods and beds we have shared."
Her shivered, the anticipation outweighing the necromantic chill. "Yes, Master."
Slivers of light marking seams between bolts dimmed. Morlo parted them, halting before Kaisha. Pimples rose across her flesh, bumps quivering in fear enough that the light hairs upon her arms stood up, dancing almost. Blood covered her face, rolling in waves from one of many lines carved into her flesh, now marred by scrapes, cuts and bites.
Gaunt hand caressed her cheek, following the same spots Tamaera caressed earlier. "Ah, my poor child. You desired eternal youth, yet have failed the test of eternal loyalty I demand as its price." Fingers rudely grasped her jaw, wrenching her eyes to meet his. "I knew you would fail this test, little one. I prepared for it. You will live a long time, and give me that loyalty, even as you fight it." His grip softened, once more a lover's stroke, tracing down throat, finding damaged breasts.
Kaisha struggled, desiring to be anywhere but here. Then her body betrayed her, ignoring her flight response, trembling as nipples rose under Morlo's cold teasing. The blonde knew this feeling, loins burning as desire for her master raged into her body. She hated his ownership of her form, how he twisted her around on its strings.
"No, child. Not this way." Kaisha's eyes glazed, puzzling his meaning. Locked staring into his eyes, she never noted her tormentors motions, until locks creaking grabbed her attention away from the heavenly world within the vampire's eyes.
Moaning her fear, tears carving clear rivers out of the blood washing from her forehead, Kaisha jerked against her bonds when the male presented his burden. Upon silk pillows lay nightmares. Pate identical to the man's, a softer, more feminine jaw with amethyst teeth, two orbs of turquoise bearing small brozne disks centered with dull onyx gems shaped into circles only by how many facets they bore, and a spike of bronze with a head similar to those marbles.
"Ah, yes. Their fate will be yours. But where they went willingly, you will struggle until destroyed to escape my will, but serve it perfectly." Vampiric eyes ordered Tamaera to step back, letting the golem female access now. Her trays held five items, two mechanical forarms with hands, two lower legs crafted in animal form even to carved obsidian hooves and small corset built from some brilliant blue metal which nearly glowed its power.
Shaking her head, Kaisha begged mercy, gaining no hint, when Morlo turned his face back, that such existed.
Tamaera laughed aloud, reveling at her former rival's horror over her fate. "Perfect, master."
Mouth twisting cruelly upwards, fangs exposed, the vampire began chanting to raise powers he required for transforming Kaisha into something more useful to him.
No comments:
Post a Comment