The Vampire King 2 Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven


Raya had followed the Princi down what seemed like an endless stairway of darkness. It stunk of magic, foul magic but she had no choice. This would get her exactly what she wanted and she felt that in some degree, siding with a devil was siding with a lesser of two evils. Mael, the prince of blood, the Lord of shadows was a vile dog, a spawn of Princi... and now she sided with one to take revenge. No matter, once she used this creature to gain a stronger body, she would do away with him as well. If she could.

The Princi seemed only partially formed, it was safe to say that he was actually more a spirit than a physical monster. The darkness beyond a certain point was so deep that even her nocturnal eyes could not see through it and for the first time since realizing her new existence, she felt... unnerved. She had gone head to head with the vampire king once long ago and lived, even marred his perfect face. The thought made her smile with delight. He had been so full of himself, so sure. He wasn't smiling when she attempted to claw his eyes out!

How low she had come since then. Born into this body, this meek, giving vessel that fed, and loved that stinking self-proclaiming dog! No more! She would be the warrior she once was again. The Princi led her to a chamber, finally, that opened into a great underground lair. Raya did not know where she was but she certainly wasn't under the city. "This is my laboratory or playground, you might say." The Creature, Hanzazal said. Its form still nothing but a shadow moving amongst shadows but she could see it against the dim light in the room.

Along the far walls were cages filled with bodies, each one in a different state of erosion. One cage held live subjects but to say they were human would be a compliment at best. They were malformed creatures of some flawed attempt at creating a... she couldn't be sure. Hanging from the ceiling were living, breathing humans. They were chained, bound and gagged. Their screams for help muffled. "You are insane, aren't you?" Raya asked her host, stepping cautiously behind his swirling form.

"No, to be insane I would need a mind and I do not have a mind... yet." He said, cackling. "Then just utterly twisted and sick." She offered, regarding some of his tools. The Princi did not answer her but instead went to a large square containment. It was then that she realized a crowd was gathering behind her. She spun finding around twenty naked, defiled, girls behind her. Their skin was stitched together, red and leaking pus from infection that hadn't been seen to. Raya nearly threw up.

"Get them away from me...!" She snarled, putting a hand to her lips. "You do not like my girls?" Hanzazal laughed. The girls stopped as if they were mindless puppets and suddenly Raya realized what she had agreed to. "You don't intend to make me like them?" She growled. Another girl appeared, this one could be no older than seventeen and carrying a knife in her hand. She knelt on the ground below the swirling dark formless creature and with glassy eyes, cut her jugular open, spraying her blood all over, including Raya's feet.

Hanzazal laughed as Raya stepped back appalled at the scene. The blood began to rise up and swirl in the air until it appeared it filled invisible veins and finally a body. "By the Gods..."Raya uttered at the sight of the thing. It was huge, massive in size. Humanoid yet malformed in so many ways, hideous yet hinted at once being beautiful. The cursed deities, the oldest Gods of the lands. This Princi had been severely punished by the heavens, harshly stripped of his once beauty. And somehow he had found a way to remain physical in the world for a time.

"I am sorry for this... shell. You see, I am unable to control my form, unlike the Vampire King. Once I am stronger then I shall be able to walk amongst the humans unnoticed but right now I can't even remain physical for long." He explained. Raya looked down at the body of the young girl, now lifeless though still pumping blood onto the floor. The blood followed the Princi as if it were a living thing. She had heard tales that Nikolas the father of vampires had the ability to control  blood itself. Apparently it was possible since this Princi could do it.

"So you are the same as the filth out there? Living off the blood of others like a leech?" Raya sputtered, wishing now she had not followed this creature into its den. "Fear not Princess, no harm will come to you." He said, smirking. "I fear nothing!" She snapped. "I need your help and you shall be rewarded like servants in the past." He said. "How dare you! I'll slay you right now, you vile pig!" Raya snarled but truly she had no way of fighting this creatures and he knew it. Laughter. At her? Unacceptable!

"Princess... you have your goals and I have mine. Bring me the blond girl and I will in return give you a body that can and will defeat the Vampire King." Hanzazal said smugly. "Why do you want one of your own minions killed, Hanz? How do I know you will not betray me?" Raya asked sharply. "He failed us... he is no longer required." The Princi admitted. Impossible... Cassandra's ramblings could not be true, The vampire king could not be different and Gods forbid, he could not be... good.

"You said that the body would be connected to you, that I would not die if you lived, correct?" Hanzazal nodded. "So if I did away with other Princi, you would not care as long as you yourself lived?" She asked. "Exactly. I don't care if you kill everything on the planet, Princess. I only want my dolls. So, feel free to be genocidal but leave me my pretty little girls." He said and laughed. Little did he know that she would find a way to get rid of him eventually.

"The King gathers his powers as we speak. He will send out his best to find you and he too will search. Your former master will leave the blond one at the house for hiding... but I can see her there. Wait outside until you see them leave and then sneak into get the girl. She trusts Cassandra. Once you have her, bring her here and then I will separate your body from your soul." Hanz said. "And you will do as you say, you, a demon, will keep his word?" Raya asked, disbelieving.

"Once the girl has been taken, the King and his brother will unleash a wrath unlike any mortal creature today has seen. The King will come for his Queen and his brother will be inconsolable for his mate. I need protection and you will serve as that in return." Raya felt a sudden and unpleasant twinge at the term 'mate'.  "And you promise not to hurt him, Church? You promise I can have him for my own?" Raya asked, feeling her soul twisting inside. Damn Cassandra.

"I have no need for him. If he still can look upon you, you may have him but I dare say he would sooner remove your head after what you will subject his mate too." He said with a smirk. "I may only want him to soothe my need for revenge, Hanz. Do not assume I require him for love. That horse died a long time ago and it's been beat enough. No, now I want him to suffer the pain I felt all those days and months waiting for a hero that never came. I want him to lose something precious." Raya said, her lip curling at the thought.

"Oh, then perhaps we can send him a finger or two as a surprise once we have her? That would be a treat!" Hanz cackled, nearly giggles at the idea. Raya hadn't felt comfortable seeing the bodies at first but then, they  were just humans. Much like insects, they were created to serve and feed the stronger and more intelligent creatures that lived. "No, a finger wouldn't let him know who it was at first. Perhaps some hair or an eye?" Raya suggested nonchalantly.

"Why, Princess, I think I may come to enjoy your company after all..." Hanz said and grazed a long sharp claw down her cheek. Careful not to mar her skin.