|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Chapter Four: Calm Before the Storm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Calloway awoke and found himself in a place he had been before - a place he had seen in nightmares for decades. Although the scene played out differently each time, in essence it always started the same. He was laying on the ground - the sand beneath him stained with blood. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He looked up from the sand and saw the tunnels where Snake and the rest of his minions operated from. He forced himself to his feet and staggered around until his shoulders rested against the stony wall behind him. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He looked down and saw a broken spear sticking out of his stomach. Slowly he looked over and saw the broken handle of a temple guard's weapon. His bloodied arm slumped down and reached behind his back. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He groaned as he slowly pulled the weapon out. When it fell to the blood-soaked sand - he fell to his knees gasping. All around him he could see the broken bodies of dozens of temple guards. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He looked at the walls and saw hundred of bullet holes. Some of the stone walls were scorched as though explosives had been used. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "A war has been fought here - but who - how?' Calloway muttered to himself as he dragged himself through the tunnels - doing his best not to trip over the bodies of the guards. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He made his way to the center chamber - hoping that this time it would be different. But as he rounded the corner - he saw that it wasn't. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The iron doors were smoking and off the hinges. The stone wall around the opening singed black where powerful explosives had done their damage. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The chamber - that was once lavish - with walls of gold - had been looted - the gold had been chipped away. All of the treasures within looted. On the floor - were the charred bodies of thousands of ghoul snakes. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "It is just like before," he muttered as he closed his eyes. He wanted to scream that it was just a dream - that none of it was real - but all his senses screamed that it was as real as the pain he was feeling. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He tried to walk down the steps but due to his weakened state he ended up falling. Slowly - he picked himself up. He heard voices - he wasn't alone! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The gate may have fallen - but so long as one defender stands - you shall not pass," Calloway strained as he forced himself up to his feet. He grabbed a sword from the hand of a dead temple guard and a dagger from a half-charred dancer. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Calloway blocked out the pain as he heard the sounds of frenzied fighters charging down the hall he had come from. A feral looking vampire growled as it leaped at him. Calloway stabbed the beast in the chest with the dagger and beheaded it with the sword. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He tried to ready himself for the others but it was too late. He felt something slam into him with the force of a speeding Mac truck. He was taken down hard. Before he knew it - four vampires had him pinned to the ground. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He could hear them mocking him as he tried to wrest himself free. It was then that he felt the icy cold tip of a blade touching his throat. His eyes darted over and saw a cloaked man wielding the weapon. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You will not win," Calloway muttered. The man laughed a cold laugh. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That was what Snake believed - the arrogant fool. Preparing for the war indeed," the man mocked. Calloway glared at the man that was mocking the cause. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You will pay for this. If it takes a thousand years - so be it - you will beg for death," Calloway growled. The blade pushed closer - causing a trickle of blood to escape his neck. It felt wrong - it felt too real. What if this wasn't a dream? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Did you really think - you could stop us? That fool - Set - his bitterness knows no bounds," the man stated coldly. The words sent a chill down Calloway's spine. "Oh - I think our - young friend - is starting to understand," the man stated as he lowered the hood to his robe with his free hand. The man's face was young looking - but looked older than time. "Your God - tried to stop us - but - what could he do against - us?" the Antediluvian hissed as he lunged at him. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Something hard slapped him across the face. His eyes fluttered open. He was in his haven in the Warzone. He was shaking on the floor - and above him was a very concerned looking Tamina. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Why - were you screaming like that?" she asked nervously. Calloway closed his eyes as he forced himself to sit up. He was shaking and twitching at the images he had seen - the words he had heard - the sensations he had felt. She knelt down and could see that even though he was awake - that he wasn't wholly there. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Awake - they - destroyed everything," he muttered. She knelt down reached over and placed her hand on his cheek. Slowly he began to calm down. His eyes closed as he began to relax. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Can you hear me?" Tamina asked. Calloway nodded. "You going to be okay?" she asked seriously. Again he nodded. He opened his eyes and looked at the teen that was before him. it took a few moments for the memories to fit back into place. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Tamina - clan Ventrue," he muttered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That's me," she replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I have to keep you alive," he continued. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Right again. What happened here?" she asked seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You don't want to know," he replied calmly as he slowly got up. He staggered over to the wall and looked out the boarded up window. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Actually I do. You were rambling on for the better part of the day. I couldn't get a wink of sleep. Then you started screaming like the end of the world was upon us," she stated seriously. Calloway closed his eyes. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That was what I saw - the war ended - we lost," he replied seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "It - was just a dream," she pointed out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I know," he said as he did what he could to regain his composure. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You - have those dreams often?" she asked hesitantly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No - off and on," he said as he looked over at her. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What - what happened to your arm?" she asked - seeing the wounds that scarred his arm. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Long story. Take off your jacket," he stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Excuse me?" she replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You need me - to keep you safe - to do so - I need to be healthy. Take off your jacket," he explained. Hesitantly she did as he said. He made his way over to where she was and moved her head to the side. She tensed up as she felt him bite into her neck - but slowly relaxed as he fed off her. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Calloway then jerked away from her. He looked at his arm - it was fully healed. He felt more like his old self again. Tamina - on the other hand looked a touch drained for the trade off. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Did you have to take so much?" she asked passively. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Depends - do you want me at my best when I am keeping the rogues of this city from killing you?" he asked seriously. She slumped down to her knees gasping. "You need to feed?" he asked. She tiredly nodded. He looked out the window and saw that the sun had yet to go down. "You going to be able to keep it together until sunset?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I don't have much choice," she muttered - trying to ignore the hunger that was driving her mad. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I was told that you blue bloods have - particular tastes," he stated. She closed her eyes and nodded. She curled up in a ball on the floor as she could feel the beat within compelling her to snap. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What will you need?" he asked seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Don wanna talk bout it," she strained. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You had better if you want to eat," he retorted seriously. It was then that Tanya stepped out from the shadows of the other room. Tamina scampered over and hid behind Calloway. "What brings you this way?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Snake sent me. He realized that you might get hungry for whatever reason and take a bite out of your assignment. I doubt the poor little waif had enough to spare. As he needs her - coherent - I brought her a gift. Oh honey - come here," she called out as a teenage boy entered the room. Tamina sniffed around and poked her head out from behind Calloway. "Enjoy," she offered. Tamina raced over and knocked the teen to the floor and began to feed off him as though she was starved. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'm glad you came," Calloway stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You had those dreams again?" she asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "This was one was worse," he replied. She put her arm around him. "Enough," he barked. Tamina jerked away from the twitching body. She took a few deep breaths as her system recharged on the fresh vitae. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Do you want me to stay?" she asked as the sun finally set. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No - I can handle it," he reassured. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You need me - you know I am not far away,' she whispered to him as she walked over to where the twitching teen was. "Did you kill him?" she asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No," Tamina replied passively - wiping the blood from her face. "Thank you," she said politely. Tanya smiled as she helped the weak teen to his feet. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Don't mention it. Good luck you two," she concluded as she vanished into the shadows. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Friend of yours?" Tamina asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "One of the few," he replied with a smile. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In the sewer in the street outside of the haven - Grater and several Nosforatu agents looked up at the manhole above them and knew that the sun had set. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The sun has set - for the last time for that bastard. He will not make it to the conclave this night - nor will his little whore," Grater hissed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To Be Continued... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||