Chrysalis *HF* - Chapter 3-4
By Gomurr
CHAPTER THREE:
INTERLUDE:
At first there was light.......the most beautiful light she had ever
seen....and she was part of it. Then there was singing......melodies
undreamt of by the living....and she was part of that too. She was
tiny, shapeless and without weight, yet she was a part of
everything at the same time. She floated faster and faster up
through the glourious assault of joy on her senses. If she had eyes
left, she would have cried. If she had fingers, she would have let
them run through the miasmia of beauty and colors surrounding
her. Her essence vibrated with the joy of her ascent, and the
other lights along her path glowed in rythym with her. She was
free.....finally free.
Then suddenly she was struck with incredible pain, and darkness
consumed her entirely. She no longer could see the lights or hear
the singing. Now only wails and moans filled her senses. Were
they her own? Squeezed in a vise-like grip, she struggled against
the blackness that had cut a path through the light straight
toward her. As if by some gigantic ebon hand, she felt herself
being dragged backwards, the darkness tearing at the very core
of her being. She struggled to lash out at this evil that was
preventing her from joining with that wonderful light, but she no
longer had arms nor legs. As she felt her body strike solidity
once more, her pain senses roared again ripping through what was
once her spinal column. As she was overtaken by the agony, she
fell into fitful unawareness with one final passing thought. "So
this is hell."
END INTERLUDE:
The communications suite whirred to life in the tastefully
decorated private office of Jack Silver Jr. The screen and tone
indicated an incoming call of priority one status. The flashing red
indicator lights on the monitor shown off the chrome and glass
desk of the Black King.
"Computer, Answer call," Jack Silver said distractedly. His guest
quieted into highly agitated silence as he held up his hand for
silence.
The screen blinked into life and the beautiful visage of
Nytshade, the Dark Priestess, filled the screen. Her platinum
blonde hair was neatly arranged again, but she wore a strange
look on her face.
"Nytshade, What is it?" said Silver. "We've got something of a
crisis here and I've not got time for idle chit chat on the
emergency line."
"There's been........an accident," Jon said quietly with her eyes
turned downward.
"An accident?" Jack questioned. "What sort of accident.
Psi-Shot, is this what you were talking about. Speak up, lad."
"I don't know sir," the handsome Asian youth said. He had come
running into Silver's office only moments earlier insisting that
some sort of disaster had occurred. "All I know is that a very
powerful psionic entity filled the astral plane with pain and
agony....and then total silence. Both Nate Grey and myself sensed
it. Even Demona noticed the psionic backlash. I think it would be
in our best interest to investigate."
"It's what I called about Jack," said Jon still not meeting the
Black King's eyes. "It's Nemesis."
"What about Nemesis," Silver said, a note of concern rising in his
voice. "What's happened to Claudia."
"She's dead," the Dark Priestess said simply still staring at the
floor.
"What do you mean she's DEAD!!!" roared Silver. "I swear Jon, if
this is some sort of sick game your playing, you'll pay for it. How
could she be dead. I saw her leave only a few hours ago."
"Her car exploded....and she was killed."
"What!!!! Stop this immediately Jon. I would have been notified
by our security personnel if something had happened to Claudia.
There would have been press all over the place. She's a famous
designer and the heir to the Sandubal family fortune. Stop saying
these things, Jon. They simply aren't true."
"I'm afraid they are, Jack," said Jon "It just happened. Not even
rescue vehicles have made it to the scene yet."
"How do you know this," Jack Silver snapped, his voice taking on
an angry and dangerous tone. "If nobody else knows, how do you?
If you had something to do with her death, witch...."
"Why Jack," Nytshade smiled and finally faced the camera. "I'll
take that as a compliment that you think I have that much venom
in me, but what reason could I possibly have to kill Nemesis. We
weren't exactly bosom friends, but I wouldn't kill her. I'm afraid
you'll have to look elsewhere for the villian in this crime......oh
and Jack....if there's ANYTHING i can DO for you in this time
of....NEED. Don't hesitate to call. I understand the need for
strength at the top levels of the court."
With that the screen blinked out and Silver was left with only
the memory of the Dark Priestess' lascivious grin.
"Psi-shot," Silver said whirling around on the youth. "Get Mr.
Breslin and Ben Ring together and take a rescue vehicle on the
route Nem was taking. There should be evidence in the computer
log of her from the global positioning satellite. Go...NOW!!!"
"Right...got it....Havok and Havoc. We're on our way sir. Try not
to worry."
"If someone's even injured Nemesis, worrying is only the
beginning of what I'm going to do, son." Jack Silver pushed a
hidden button on his attractive designer belt buckle.
"Gomurr....my office....NOW!" he said as the communication
channel opened.
Mere moments later the old mage came running in from the
hallway. Rahsas, one of his sorcerous apprentices, came quickly
behind him.
"Let's go Jack," said Gomurr taking the Black King by the hand
and dragging him back into a Crimson Dawn portal he had opened.
"Psi-Shot told me what Jon said and gave me the GPS coordinates
as I was coming in."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The room was dark and dank, only fitfully lit with candles that
flickered in the moldy breeze. Pyre was glad that the breeze
wasn't stronger. Even with only a tiny draft of air in the room,
the smell of the moldering and rotting bodies of his mistress'
victims was almost overpowering.....even for someone who was half
demon like himself.
Cherub knelt at the feet of their mistress kissing her white
gloved hand. Her shapely body was draped in clinging white silk
and she looked like an angelic vision even among this decay and
death.
"Mistress," the vampyre child crooned plaintively. "The one
known as Nemesis is dead, but Pyre interfered with my plans..
You said I could partake of her, before her death. He robbed me
of that opportunity."
A lock of hair fell from behind the veil that the mysterious
woman wore. It's platinum blonde color caught the light of the
candles and glistened softly. She turned away delicately stepping
over the rotting body of a female corpse. Cherub scrabbled over
the heap of decay and followed her like a lap dog, as she began to
speak.
"My precious child," the woman's voice cooed. "So hungry for the
kill....so bloodthirsty. It's one of the reasons I love you so, but
Pyre was only doing what I told him to do. I gave you a window of
opportunity and you missed it, I'm afraid. Pyre was merely
completing the assignment I gave you."
"And almost incinerating me in the process!" sputtered Cherub.
"If I hadn't taken my mist form I would have been utterly
destroyed. As it was my limited exposure to the fire...and then
the sun has burned my somewhat....delicate flesh."
The woman pulled a jeweled dagger from the bodice of the
clinging white gown she wore. Daintily tugging off her elbow
length glove, she drew it quickly across her hand and cut a shallow
but long gash in her flesh there. Placing it to the vampyre child's
lips she inhaled sharply as he begin to feed. His pink child's
tongue and face darted quickly around her fingers and he lapped
greedily.
"There, my precious boy," she moaned in her exquisite pain.
"Drink deeply of my magical blood and let it restore you....my
brave brave Cherub."
The vampyre child moaned in exstacy along with the vieled woman.
His hands went around her shapely thigh, parting her gown at the
slit in the side. His small legs parted and he leaned against her
grinding feverishly as he continued to lap and suck at her fingers
and hand. Pyre turned away from the pair. His membership in the
Illuminati was important to him. Where else was a demon hybrid
supposed to find companionship, but sometimes the actions of his
fellows sickened even him.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gomurr held the portal open while Rahsas and Silver stepped out.
Then with a quick jump he leapt to the ground, allowing the portal
to close behind him. The scene before them was one of utter
chaos. The blackened husk of the limousine still smoked and
burned fitfully. The body of Violet Priestley lay like a broken
doll on the grass beneath a tree, head cocked at an unnatural
angle.
"Nemesis!" screamed Silver as he ran towards the wreck. "Where
are you?"
Rahsas grabbed him roughly by the shoulder, holding him back.
"It's not safe, you fool," Rahsas said as he held the struggling
Silver. "The tanks could explode again and kill us all." The Black
King spun around striking the stoic dark skinned magician across
the face with his buckled fist. Rahsas fell back, blood spewing
from his lip.
"Unhand me, magician. I am your King. How dare you touch me in
this manner."
Rahsas tightened his grip on his Anaconza staff as he picked
himself up from the ground. He made as if to grab the Black King
again, but Gomurr held up his hand motioning for his apprentice
to back off.
"Anyone in that blaze is already dead, Jack," said Gomurr softly.
"You know that as well as I. What's important now is that we
check on the safety of the young girl. Perhaps she has survived
this disaster."
The three walked slowly toward the body of Violet Priestley, and
the ancient mage known as Gomurr knelt to feel for a pulse. Tears
rolled freely down both he and Silver's face at what they had
lost this day. Rahsas stood aloof watching the others, not
responding at all to the current situation.
From the road suddenly came the sound of sirens. The ambulance
and fire trucks came screeching to a halt before them. Emergency
crews were immediately putting out the fires and pushing them
away from the body of Violet Priestley. As they began to load
her into the gurney quickly but carefully, Gomurr noticed they
didn't place her in a body bag.
"She's dead," the old mage said. "Why bother her mortal frame
with your machines and needles."
"She's not dead, you crazy old man," one of the paramedics said.
"She's barely hanging on, and it's my job to help her fight. So get
out of our way and let us do our job!"
Silver wasn't even paying attention to the scene with Violet. His
eyes were locked on the smoldering wreckage of the car. In the
back seat, Silver's eyes swept over the remains of Claudia
Sandubal, the once proud and beautiful Black Queen.. Claudia's
body was simply a charred husk. Bones showed through the split
and blackened flesh and a piece of metal impaled and pinned her
to the still smoking seating chamber. Silver turned his head and
spewed forth his lunch onto the grass.
The sirens of the ambulance roared into life again and they began
their frantic drive towards the hospital. At that moment, Havok,
Havoc and Psi-Shot pulled up in the sleek BHC rescue vehicle. The
attendant police and firemen looked askance at the somewhat
futuristic looking vehicle, and they began to question Gomurr,
Rahsas and Silver. They answered with the only words they could
to not further worsen the situation.
"We came upon the wreck while on our afternoon walk, officers."
said Rahsas with his near emotionless voice. "We got here just
before you."
"You're an awfully strange walking group, if you don't mind me
saying," said the policeman. "I mean it's not everyday you see an
Asian midget a black guy in robes, and a white business man
walking together on an out of the way access road."
Silver remained silent, the grief and pain evident on his face.
"I'm gonna need some identification and I'll have to ask you to
come down to the station later for questioning."
Gomurr nodded at Psi-Shot and the boy approached. As the
officer noticed the handsome lad approaching, Psi-Shot reached
out with his mind and took the policeman's thoughts in his own.
"You don't need to ask us any more questions," Psi-Shot said
concentrating.
"I.....don't need to ask you any more questions." the officer said
giving into Psi-Shots mental urgings.
"We're free to go," said Psi-Shot.
"You're free to go," intoned the policeman.
The policeman turned to go with his notepad still clutched in his
fingers. Benjamin Ring, also known as Havoc, concentrated his
mild telekinesis on the pad drawing it out of the policeman's hand
and in to his own.
"They probably don't need that information either," said young
Ring.
"You're right, boy. Good job," said the elder Havok, patting Ben
on the back as he watched carefully to make sure that no more
law enforcement officials were approaching them. "Now let's get
everyone back to the mansion, so we can figure out who did
this......and so I can then make them pay!!"
With that the unlikely group from the BHC boarded their rescue
vehicle and returned to the mansion to tell others what had
happened and to mourn the loss of their Black Queen.
CHAPTER FOUR:
"What do you mean you don't know.?!?!?!" said Havok angrily. "If
it's magic then you should be able to tell us what kind. There's
three of you hocus pocus boys in here, so stop all the mystic
mysterioso bullshit and tell us who did this!"
Gomurr sat cross legged hovering a few feet above the floor. His
brow creased in concentration, as he thumbed threw a gigantic
book that floated before him. His two apprentices, Rahsas and
Rune, stood defiantly by his side. The dark shadow mage was the
portrait of calm and composure while the blue haired mystic
known as Rune glared angrily at Havok barely reigning in his
feelings.
"I've told you all I can, Michael," said Gomurr sadly. "The source
of the blaze that destroyed Claudia's car was supernatural in
nature...BUT that's all I know. There's no way for me to identify
the person that caused the explosion unless I recognize their
power signature. I have never seen this one before and neither
have Rune or Rahsas. All I know is that it was a very pure and
very old form of magic."
"Alot of help, that is Gomurr," growled Havok. "She's dead and
all we've done is sit on our asses waiting on you for two days."
"Leave us, Breslin," said Rahsas calmly as Rune continued to glare
defiantly. "The master has been trying to divine the cause of this
event since yesterday evening with little or no rest for himself.
The strain of such efforts have surely cost him dearly. Your
condescension toward him is not appreciated and will no longer be
tolerated."
"Oh I'm leaving alright," said Havok as he slammed the door
behind him. "I'm going to do something to find out who did this
and make them pay instead of sitting around on my ass with my
nose in a book."
As soon as the door closed behind the Black Warlord, Rune burst
into an angry tirade.
"Why do you let him speak to you so, Master Gomurr." the
handsome blue haired mage said. "You could crush his mortal
frame with the tiniest of mystic effort, yet you allow him to
treat you as if you are nothing."
"Ability and will are two different things, my impulsive young
friend, said Gomurr patiently. "Simply because I can do
something, doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. He's merely
angry
about his loss....all of our loss."
The ancient mage as well as the book he was reading floated
slowly to the floor. Gomurr shook himself and stretched wearily.
Setting his shoulders, he walked back towards his library again,
searching for any clue as to who or what had caused the disaster
that had killed their Black Queen. Rune and Rahsas watched with
worried expressions. Gomurr hadn't slept since the accident. He
was exhausted and greatly saddened, and his pupils worried what
effect it would have on his diminutive frame.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The body of Violet Priestley lay under the clean white coverlet
of her hospital bed. The young girl's handsome features and
beautiful skin were nearly completely covered with bandages,
cords, tubes, and mechanisms. She looked almost like a cyborg
with all the apparatus attached to her vulnerable human frame.
Her chest rose and fell shallowly, assisted by the breathing
machine by her bed. The tiny beeps of the life giving devices rose
into the air. A tiny droplet of blood soaked through the clean
white bandages around her ear, its scarlet color in sharp contrast
to the stark white surroundings in which she lay.
Hospitals were so clean and peaceful. There was no indication of
the horror that had befallen the young girl other than the tiny
showing of her precious life's blood. Suddenly without warning,
her body convulsed and her eyes flew open. A violent gasping
scream escaped her throat. Alarms claxoned throughout the room
as she gagged and tore at the tubing in her throat. Her arms
flailed like a rag doll caught in a whirlwind. Doctors and nurses
were immediately on the scene, administering the drugs that would
push her back into the coma like sleep she lay in.
"What the hell was that about," said Dr. Dei Lu Xhang, "She's
supposed to be under the heaviest of sedation. Her neck must be
kept perfectly still if she's to have any hope of living."
Dr. Angelo Torres looked at his counterpart from the BHC. They
both had left their duties with the Hellfire clubs to check in on
young Violet in the city hospital.
"I don't know, Lu," said the handsome hispanic doctor. "You can
see the dosages yourself. She should be completely under."
They both looked at each other thinking the same
thoughts......MUTANT!!??!!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cherub ran from tree to tree darting to and fro in the twilight
darkness. The young boy he had "summoned" from a park about a
mile away followed laughing delightedly. He could smell the boy's
blood pounding in his veins and his stomach turned hungrily.
"I'll catch you yet," the boy laughed and Cherub smiled to
himself showing his glistening white vampire teeth.
"You'll have to run faster than that, Johnny," Cherub said
modulating his voice to spur the boy onward toward him. "Catch
me if you can."
The small blonde headed child ran under a tree searching for his
newly found playmate when Cherub dropped from an overhanging
branch and landed on the child knocking him to the ground.
"It appears I've caught you," Cherub hissed as he pinned the
child's chubby arms to the grassy dirt beneath him.
The boy at first laughed, but then seeing the animalistic hunger in
Cherub's eyes and his too sharp teeth he began to scream. Cherub
sensing the fear rush in his victim lowered his head slowly to the
child's soft pink throat. However, Before he could sink his fangs
into the pulsing jugular vein there, he felt himself being yanked
up and away from the now hysterical child.
"Stop it, you sick bastard," Pyre said as he held Cherub up by
the scruff of his collar. "He's just a child."
"And I wasn't when this was done to me!!...when i was given the
dark gift." screamed Cherub as he kicked at Pyre's chest and
pushed at his arm. "Release me demon. This is twice you've denied
me the pleasure of the kill. I refuse to stand for it."
"I know you must eat, Cherub, but this is insane." the tall demon
hybrid said. "The mistress has informed you not to kill anyone
that would bring attention to us. This child will be the ruination
of all we planned."
With that they both stared at the child that still lay cowering on
the ground crying hysterically.
"I suppose you're right," Cherub said poutily.
With that the small angelic vampire turned toward the crying
child and begin to speak in soft soothing whispers. "It's okay
Johnny. You're just lost. I'll help you find your way home. It's
all been a very bad dream. Just turn around and walk back
towards the play-ground. I bet you're mommy is waiting there
anxiously for you. Now go....run along....This is all just a bad
dream. Go.....just a dream....go home Johnny."
The child, completely taken by the hypnotic vampiric trance
picked himself up and began walking slowly towards the park he
had wandered away from only an hour earlier.
Cherub turned on Pyre frowning maliciously and spoke again. This
time his voice was more sarcastic than menacing. "There I've
released the boy. Now why don't you use that demonic power of
yours to find me something to eat. I know you can see the
darkness in people's souls for miles away....find me some
murderer or transient to eat. Nobody will miss them. They always
leave such a disgusting aftertaste in my mouth....I can hardly
wait."
Pyre shook his head from side to side. Once again he was amazed
at the evil that dwelled within the heart of this vampire child.
True, he himself was half demon, but this creature before him
reveled in the horrors he committed. What had he gotten himself
into by joining up with this group?
"Your mind is troubled, Pyre," an icily chill voice rang out from
behind him. "Have no doubt about your place among us. Your
fears are without credence. Your own heart is as black as any of
ours. Why resist the urge to take what you want, to slay
indiscriminately. It is in your nature.....as it is in mine."
With that Pyre spun, trying to stop what he knew was about to
occur, but he was too late. Akasha had already found the child
fading into the twilight, and was making her move.
"Akasha, NOOOOOOO!!!!," Pyre screamed. "The mistress wants
no killings that can be traced back to us....."
But it was already too late.
The woman known only as Akasha was running toward the child.
She hummed to herself in a beautiful icy tinkling way. The boy
still plodded on, blissfully unaware of what was approaching him.
The flowing silver gown Akasha wore billowed out behind her as
she ran. Faster and faster she went, as she began to overtake the
child. She leaped into the air and pulled out a wicked looking
blade from somewhere in the folds of her gown. Spinning and
leaping again, she produced another. The metal of the blades
glinted with the same silvery sheen as her hair and gown. Spinning
again in mid-air she began to sing a song. Her voice rose like a
crystal bell with words that hadn't been heard for centuries. Her
feet no longer touched the ground and she gained ground on the
boy. Her gown and hair appeared to fly behind her in slow motion
as she danced in mid-air, but she moved with the speed of a
swooping hawk. The boy heard the beautiful song and turned
toward its source, and it was then as he stood enraptured by her
beauty and charm, that Akasha attacked. The velocity of her spin
increased and she became a whirlwind of blades, moving so fast
that she was just a blur of silvery motion. As she overtook the
boy a sickening grinding and hacking noise filled the night as
Akasha's mystic swords ground his flesh and bones into wet
meaty nothingness. As she came to a stop, her dress and beautiful
silver hair of the same shade were in perfect accord and the
blades had once again been deposited to wherever she drew them
from. She laughed at the horror struck Pyre. "Nothing left to
identify or even find.....no danger to us." She laughed again as she
tossed something towards the vampire child, called Cherub.
Cherub caught the object in his hand and greedily began to
devour the still beating heart of the child that had once been
known as Johnny Timmons