Chrysalis *HF* - Chapter 5-6
By Gomurr
CHAPTER FIVE:
The huge underground chamber reverberated with the sounds of
the chanting. Dark words from even darker times echoed from the
walls of the ancient cavern. Fitful whistles of wind stirred the
damp air causing the candles on the ancient stands to flicker,
giving only moderate illumination to the dark ritual. Twelve
heavily robed figures moved slowly around the ancient pentagram
drawn on the floor of the cavern. Another figure knelt in the
center of the blood drawn symbol. His hands were tied to his
ankles behind him and his own blood poured onto the symbols
from fresh wounds on his back and shoulders. The sweat from his
naked body glistened softly in the candlelight. His body shivered
and tensed as the chanting grew louder, and he curled his body
deeper into his kneeling position as if in protection from those
around him.
The figure at the head of the circle moved forward and pulled a
dagger of twisted metal from the folds of her robe. It's sheen
caught the light as it cut through the air. Her chant reached a
near scream as she recited the final words of the incantation and
brought the knife plunging down at the man in the center. The
razor sharp blade snapped the man's bonds as if they were made
of tissue paper and he fell prostate before the woman, kissing at
the hem of her robe.
"Riiiissee, neophyte," the woman intoned. "Rise and take your
place among your new brethren. You have been purified through
the rites of pain and darkness. Your place among us completes our
coven and together we will rise up and devour the world. Rise and
take the mark of the Illuminati as your own. Become one with us
and we with you. The time is at hand."
The chanting came to a sudden stop and the silence was near total
with only the dripping of the moisture from the walls of the cave.
The man at the center of the circle stood, revealing his nakedness
to all. He turned in a circle allowing the robed figures to view
him totally. The woman approached again with a glowing brand in
her hands. Her delicately manicured nails clicked softly against
the ancient metal of its handle as she brought it's glowing edge
closer to the man in the center. She began to intone again.
"Do you take the mark of your own free will? Do you join us in
the darkness and swear to forsake all other alliances in favor of
this coven? Swear this now and Become!"
The man nodded and the woman brought the brand down cruelly
against his left pectoral muscle. The smell of burning flesh filled
the chamber and the man's scream echoed off the walls. When his
scream died away, the robed woman helped the man to his feet
and together they stood facing the circle.
"Gentleman......Ladies," the velvet voice purred from the darkness.
"I'd like you to meet our newest member, Harry Tanaka. From
this day forward, he will be known as known as The Link. He shall
unite our houses and complete our circle. He is the one we have
been waiting for."
With that they all took one stepped forward and dropped their
robes to the ground. The group stood naked beneath their robes,
and each bore the mark of the Illuminati somewhere on their
body. They stood still...solemn and waiting.
"Come forward and reaffirm your faith," the head of the coven
intoned as she tossed her platinum blonde locks. "I am the
Necromancer, Queen of Wands, Sorcoress of the Winding Way
and eater of Life Essence." Her brand glowed eerily on her right
shoulder.
Next, a man came striding powerfully to the center of the circle.
His extremely well toned body and tanned skin were the perfect
accent to his mane of golden hair and shining blue eyes. The
Necromancer's eyes watched him lustily as he moved. The brand
of the Illuminati covered his entire back and his shoulder and
back muscles rippled underneath it. "I am Adonis, King of Wands.
I feed on the strength of all men I destroy and make it my own.
Bring forth my enemies, so that I may slay them and sup on their
power."
The next man to join those in the middle was in such physical
contrast to the former that it was almost laughable. His
incredible gauntness and frailty made one think that he would
collapse with the mere effort of movement, but he stepped
forward with the grace and agility of a jungle cat. His sallow
sagging flesh made him appear almost skeletal, and the brand of
the Illuminati was worn as an angry scar in the center of his
forehead. He began to speak in a dry cracked voice as his
lascivious gaze fell on the Necromancer's nakedness. "I am
Scarab, Knight of Wands, Waster of the flesh, and destroyer of
the spirit. I serve my Queen with all that I am."
"Who speaks for the house of Swords?" the Necromancer said
trying to ignore Scarab's hungry eyes upon her.
"I do," said Akasha proudly as she moved to bring her delicately
curved nails to the freshly burned brand on Harry's chest. Her
silvery mane was braided down her back and it swayed back and
forth over her bare buttocks. Most would have appeared foolish,
naked and carrying arms, but Akasha's swords seemed to be as
much a part of her as her eyes or lips. She carried them proudly
and with ease, encased on her back. The mark of their order was
on the blade of both her swords as well as glowing softly on her
well toned stomach just abover her navel. "I am Akasha, Queen of
Swords. By the mystic Blades of Azri, I take all that my victims
have to offer leaving nothing in my wake."
Stepping from the shadows next was a veritable hulk of a man,
towering at nearly seven feet tall. His skin tone seemed to be
almost grey, and his brow was heavy and pronounced. His thick
dark hair hung loosely in disarray down his back. He wore his
brand on the exact center of his powerful chest, just above his
sternum. Suddenly great bat like wings unfurled from his back.
His cruel talons and grinning fangs became clear as he stepped
closer to the center of the circle. "I am Gargoyle, King of
Swords. I come on silent wings of death for all those that oppose
me."
Completing the court of Swords, the next man came to the center.
His movement was a near blur as he leaped from his spot on the
outer rim of the circle to the center. He somersaulted in the air
and when he landed, his hands had both morphed into jagged
blades of glistening black. His own dark skin made it nearly
impossible to see where the division of flesh and living metal
occurred. His eyes had no whites to his eyes, and his pupils and
were black as night. His tattoo glowed white against the skin of
his left thigh. "I am Obsydian, Knight of Swords. My body is the
ultimate weapon capable of slicing my foes to bloody ribbons. No
flesh shall be spared."
"I speak for the House of Pentacles," said Cherub not waiting for
the Necromancer's call. As he stepped into the light, his soft pale
child's body seemed out of place among the warriors around him.
His brand was comicly on his round smooth child's bottom. "I am
Cherub, King of Pentacles. I am drinker of blood, eater of souls,
destroyer of innocence. My gaze entrances my victims and they
beg me for death...I am..."
"Enough already," said an almost grandmotherly lady stepping
from the shadows. "We know you're an all powerful great
vampire, Cherub, but you're going to bore poor Harry to death."
If not for her nakedness and the brand on the nape of her neck,
this matronly old woman would have looked perfectly at home in a
kitchen baking home-made cookies.
"State your name and position," said the Necromancer coldly.
"Very well," the old woman sighed. "My name is Helena. These
people know me as Stitch. I'm a skin shifter. My power over the
flesh of mortals is absolute."
"Finish the ritual, old woman" the Necromancer spat.
"I am the Queen of Pentacles," the grandmotherly Stitch finished
with the annoyance evident in her voice.
"As you all know, my name's Bliss and I'm the Knight of
Pentacles," a figure said as he stepped from the shadowed outer
rim. The figure was in excellent shape, but trimmer and less
muscled than the other men in the order. He moved in a sinuous
sway that accentuated his narrow waist and hips. The man known
as Bliss wore heavy red lip-stick on his pert mouth and as he
spoke he licked at them in a seductive pout. "I can make you feel
so good, baby.....you'll think you've died and gone to heaven,"
purred Bliss as he ran his fingers along Harry's jawline. "Well
you'll die anyway."
"Step away from the initiate!" the Necromancer commanded and
the the man known as Bliss slid back gracefully smiling to himself.
"Another time, perhaps," he said under his breath as the
Necromancer moved the ceromony forward.
"Who speaks for the House of Cups?" the Necromancer intoned.
"It is I," said a handsome middle aged man. His dark hair was
streaked with grey on the sides in a dashing manner. His powerful
chest and arms showed him to be a man of great strength, but the
careful deliberate way he moved showed him to be a man of
careful thought. He held out his hands and you could see the
brand of the Illuminati on each palm. "My name is Deacon Faust.
I am King of Cups. I read thoughts like others read a book. I can
step between the seconds and become one with the time-stream.
All those who oppose me will die, beginning with my father, the
man known as Darque Feonix."
"Your wish to be so intimate with Mistress Death is not a safe
one, my King," a tinkling beautiful voice giggled from the
darkness. A young woman with beautiful flowing red hair joined
them in the center. Her brand shown eerily on her shapely hip.
She appeared almost innocently childlike and her timid voice
added to this illusion. "My name is Magdalene. The voices of the
dead speak to me and through me. Those who have moved on to the
other plane still heed my call, and do my bidding. I hear their
mournful cries and through them read the events of times yet to
come."
"And finally," said Pyre as he stepped towards the rest of the
Illuminati Brotherhood. "My name's Pyre. Scion of the demon
Gargoth and a human mother. I am Knight of Cups and my power is
to control and become one with hellfire. Need a light?"
"Silence," the Necromancer roared. "Your levity has no place
here demon-spawn."
Pyre gritted his teeth and then was silent.
The Necromancer continued on in a soft soothing tone. "Come now
Harry. Become The Link. Show us the way to He Who Speaks
Through You. Let us bathe in his glory."
With that the Necromancer kissed Harry Tanaka deeply, sliding
her hands up and down his naked flesh as her tongue darted in and
out of his lips. The others all around her joined each other in the
coupling until the center of the Pentagram was an orgy of
writhing flesh. The moans of pleasure were accented by yelps of
sensuous pain as some in the party began to push their partners
past their limits. Harry Tanaka moaned, his senses reeling,
blocking out any control he had over his body. As he reached his
climax he let out a cry of release and exstacy. Suddenly a
gravely echoing voice filled the chamber and it came from Harry
Tanaka's throat.
"I AM ESTOPHALUM......YOU PLEASE ME WITH YOUR
DISPLAY. WHAT IS IT YOU DESIRE?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
She felt pain greater than any she had ever known and she cried
out against it, yet she made no sound. She had no voice. She tried
to move, but she was held down by something she could not feel.
Only moments before she had tried to move against the bonds
that held her in check, but there was only darkness, and a sense
of weight. She could sense them moving around her, waiting to
make their move, but she couldn't see them. "Damn you
demons....face me," she tried to roar but her voice was as
innefectual as her struggles.
She was in the void that was hell and she was at the mercy of the
demons there. There was no hope for her in this hellish landscape.
Her body simply wouldn't cooperate....did she still even have a
body? The demons that tormented her pushed her mind back down
into blackness and despair with their metal and glass daggers. If
she could only make her limbs respond....maybe she could
escape...maybe she could at least fight against her captors...but
Maybe.....just maybe she was getting her just desserts for the
life she had lived. She had manipulated others her entire
life....now she was being manipulated......body and soul. The woman
once known as Claudia Sandubal cried out once again refusing to
give in to this new torment, and once again there was only
silence...and pain.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The body of Violet Priestley convulsed wildly and sat stiff
upright in the bed. IV tubes ripped free of her delicate flesh and
alarm monitors screamed into existence. A sudden loud snapping
filled the air as her spinal column realigned. Dr. Xhang ran into
the room reaching for Violet's body as it contorted in pain. When
their hands met, the young doctor joined her in her unholy
screaming.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Claudia struck out with everything she had. Her essence screamed
as she felt the excruciating pain of a thousand needles stinging
her from every direction at once. She could sense the demon near
her and as it reached for her, she stabbed directly into its mind
searching for a way out. She felt the demon's mind give way and
saw her chance at escape. Pulling the knowledge directly from the
demon's mind, she saw the way to pick the incredibly intricate
locks that held her. Using microscopic bursts of her telekinetic
energy, she pushed the tumblers into place, making the minute
connections needed to release her from this prison...and then with
a finaly telekinetic nudge.....she was once again FREE.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Violet opened her eyes and pushed Dr. Zhang roughly away.
"RELEASE ME HELL SPAWN!" she roared and Dr. Zhang fell
back speechless. Where moments ago Violet Priestley had been
completely comatose with a severed spinal column, now she stood
in her flimsy hospital gown fighting her off as if she were an
attacker.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Claudia felt the excstacy of once again having the sensations of
the flesh. Even the cheap fabric of whatever this garment she
wore felt good against her skin. As her eyes adjusted to the
bright whiteness of the room, she saw the demon she had felled
struggling to right itself. It's shape was only a blur as she made
her move, but her kick to it's mouth soon brought it to the ground
again. She was too late however, more of the demons approached.
She saw their dim shapes rushing toward her. They had her by the
arms. She laughed despite them, reveling in the thought that she
once again had arms ....THAT SHE COULD FEEL AND MOVE. As
she kicked and flailed against them, her vision began to focus and
the demon before her came finally into shape.
"Dr. Zhang?!?!?!" Claudia said dumbstruck.
"Yes, Violet," said Dr. Zhang smoothly wiping the tiny trickle of
blood from her lip. "That's my name. Calm down. You're in a
hospital. Just get back into bed. Something amazing has
happened. We need you to work with us."
"Violet? What are you talking about, Zhang." said Claudia
relaxing in the grip of the orderlies. "Don't you know who I am?
I"m Clau...."
Nem's eyes came to focus on a mirror behind Dr. Zhang. Any
thought she had flew from her head as she saw the reflection
staring back at her.
"Oh my GOD!" she thought. "I'm Violet!!"
CHAPTER SIX:
Jon Ellen Tolliver's back arched and she screamed as she
struggled against the glowing mystic bonds around her wrists and
ankles. Her eyes carried pure hatred for the diminutive old man
in front of her that held her helpless in the air. Gomurr continued
to speak in a soft soothing voice, hoping to ease the obvious
tension in the room. Rahsas and Rune stood flanking him adding
their mystic energy to his own.
"Jon," he said trying again to appease the Dark Priestess. "It is
imperative you tell us what you know of Claudia's death."
"YOU DARE BIND ME OLD MAN!" Jon spat. "I'll strip the
flesh from your ancient carcas bit by bit. The marrow of your
bones will crackle as I bake you with hellfire. RELEASE ME
NOW. I've told you all I can. The car blew up and I felt a
shockwave of mystic energy as it did. That's all that concerns
you."
"That's not true, sir," Psi-Shot said tilting his head downward so
that his his blonde hair hung down over his curved almond eyes.
"She's not lying exactly.....but she's hiding something."
Jon stared at the young psionic named El Wyn Mah, and he
quieted himself quickly under her heated gaze. Silver and Havok
stepped between Jon and the boy almost as one.
"You'll tell us what you know witch or I'll carve it out of your
mind by hand," said Havok morphing his hand into a claw.
"Stop this immediately," cried Avalon. "This woman is a member
of my Darkfire Court and she's already told you all she knows. I
demand that you release her."
"Quiet child," said Gomurr distractedly. "This is important."
At that, Avalon gestured and Gomurr flew across the room and he
himself was pinned against the wall. The gathered members of the
Black Court were all on their feet at once. Psi-Shot, Havok,
Silver, Havoc1, Rune and Rahsas all rushed toward the Darkfire
Lord but before they could reach him they were quickly leapt
upon by members of the Darkfire Court. The alien known as
Morph quickly surrounded Havoc and Psi-Shot with his malleable
frame pinning their arms to their sides, depriving them of the
weapons they needed to focus their powers. The mind of Greg
Nell which resided in the young Oolian's body kept the two
telepath's minds from focusing as well. Afterburner quickly
grabbed Silver and pushed him roughly to the ground. Monet
crouched in a defensive position before Havok preparing her
strike and Rahsas and the Hunter each prepared other worldly
energies to release upon each other. Rune tried desperately to
unweave the bonds holding Gomurr.
"STOP THIS AT ONCE!" the ancient mage cried. "We are allies,
not enemies. We must work together."
Avalon smiled grimly. His still young eyes glittered in his
strangely matured face as he dropped his hand slowly. The old
mage slid down the wall until he touched the ground. As he
reached the stone flooring of the Darkfire Castle he too released
his mystical hold on Jon and she rubbed at her wrists absently.
"Now leave here at once before I destroy you all," Nytshade
cried as she regathered her dignity. "I've told you all I will, and
that is final."
Avalon turned, the cape of his new uniform as Darkfire Lord
swirling slightly. "Nothing is final until I say it is, Priestess. You
will go through your story one more time with one our own
scanning you. If you are telling the truth.... our 'guests' will leave.
If not......"
Jon grimaced tossing her beautiful blonde hair. "This is ludicrous.
They attack us in our home. Bind me mystically and then you take
their side."
"I take no one's side, Nytshade. I merely seek the truth," said
Avalon.
"Very well," said Jon. "but this is a tale both ancient and
dangerous and by forcing me to tell it, you endager all of your
lives. Sit back...... 'friends' and let me tell you the story of the
Illuminati."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clauda Sandubal lay sullen and silent in the hospital bed. Doctors
Zhang and Torres watched through the one way mirror of the
observation booth.
"She seems fine, Lu," said Dr. Torres. "I don't understand her
sudden refusal to speak. Her EKG shows no permanent damage,
yet since that first outburst upon waking, she's not said a word.
Dr. Dei Lu Zhang studied their patient calmly. Her analytical
mind turning over option after option. She tapped her blush
colored lips thoughtfully with a pen. Torres watched her with a
mix of respect and longing. Their relationship such as it was, was
made even more difficult by the fact that they served as medical
council for oppossing courts in the Hellfire Club....but what did
that matter. He loved this woman before him and he meant for her
to know it.
"If I didn't know better I'd say she was shamming us, A," said Dr.
Zhang breaking Dr. Torres' train of thought. "I can't get a read
on her emotions at all. Not that my empathic ability goes beyond
Gamma levels, but I should feel something at least. It's like I'm
reading an emotional blank slate. It takes a telepath to screen me
out like that."
"Why would she block you out?" asked Angelo. "And How is
another question. Her initial battery of tests that were done
when she signed on as a Hellfire Club servant show no such
abilities."
"Be that as it may," said Dr. Zhang. "We've got a mystery on our
hands and young Violet Priestley is in the center of it."
The two doctors continued to watch their young charge. In the
body of Violet Priestley, the mind of Claudia Sandubal calculated
her choices. Without even realizing what she was doing, her
mental powers had begun to remap and reconstruct the very brain
chemistry of the body she now inhabited. It was true, that she
might never be as powerful as she once was, but she was far from
helpless. This new body offered new and exciting possibilities
and she meant to master everyone of them. She brushed way Dr.
Zhang's puny empathic probes away once again with more ease
this time. "Soon," she thought "soon I'll be able to MAKE them
believe me......and then I can get out of here and find out who
tried to kill me."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The combined groups of the Darkfire and Black Hellfire Courts
had moved to the main conference room of the Darkfire Castle.
The gigantic rough edged stone table they sat around was made of
stone as old as the castle itself. Avalon's touch could be seen
clearly in the computer monitors in front of each seat. They were
embedded in the stone without trace of seam or wiring. The new
Dark Lord's abilities never ceased to amaze. Jon Tolliver sat at
the end of the table and all eyes were on her as she began to
speak.
"It's as I said," she stated solemnly running her hands through her
long blonde hair. "When the car carrying our departed Black
Queen exploded, there was a mystic backlash of energy. I was
directly in tune with it due to my familiar, Bertha, being nearby.
Through our link, I saw Nem destroyed and felt the energies used
to do it. A mystic signature as most of you is much like a
fingerprint, in that one can identify the wielder of the spell. The
explosion was caused by a nasty piece of work that goes by the
name of Pyre. I thought his organization long dead, but I realize
now I was wrong."
"So now you're saying it's this Pyre character we have to find.
What about this Illuminati person." Havok said impatiently.
"Where can we find him. He'll pay for what he's done."
"The Illuminati isn't a person, Breslin. It's an organization. Pyre
is.... or was the last time I saw him..., a member...," Jon continued
as if she hadn't been interrupted "Like we in the Hellfire Club,
the Illuminati have been around for quite some time. I first came
to know of them in 1950 when I was approached about joining
their number. They are well funded and their beginnings go back
even farther than I can trace....but at the heart of their
organization is an evil so dark that I shudder to think of it. Even
I who have practiced the dark arts for years feared that evil. I
refused their offer and have only heard shadowed rumors of
their existence since then."
"I've heard of this Illuminati," said Gomurr steepling his fingers
before him. "but only whispered half truths and rumors. It's said
they've been around since medieval times in one form or another.
Those that had dealings with the dark or embraced curses that
befell them are drawn to this organization like moths to a flame.
Their membership varies from generation to generation, but Jon
is right. They represent the shadow in all its darkness. No good
can come of this."
"As I've said, Gomurr" Jon spat. "I kept silent for your own good.
Claudia managed to anger the Illuminati somehow, and I kept
silent as a means of protecting the rest of you, lest further
intereference by us cause them to target another of our group."
"You had no right to keep this from..." Havok began.
"How dare you presume that we can't..."chimed in Silver.
Avalon simply held his hand up gesturing for silence....and to
everyone's surprise....even his own, the group did. The young man
who had gone throught so much in his young life was fitting into
his new role of Dark Lord quite well.
"You've been on your own for too long, Priestess," Avalon said. "A
threat to one of us is a threat to us all. We, in this organization,
are a team....a family if you will. While your attempt to shelter us
from harm is admirable, we are well capable of fending for
ourselves against almost any threat. We will find this Illuminati
or whoever is responsible for this crime and we will see them
pay......with their very lives if necessary."
"Now THAT'S what I'm talking about," said Havok smacking his
fist into the palm of his other hand.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Where is she?!?" fussed Scarab nervously as he paced the floor.
His frail and aged body was draped in a simple black silk warm
up suit, but on this man it looked to be a funeral shroud. Steam
rose and coated the shiny white walls of the spa like room. "She
should have been here hours ago. What could have happened?"
"Relax," said Adonis as he stretched his muscles languidly. "The
tramp can take care of herself." The King of Wands wore only a
tight black speedo as he lay on the massage table. A painfully
beautiful blonde teen boy massaged his shoulders and rubbed
them with scented oil. The large man smiled as the youth
continued his massage. "C'mon Scarab. Lie down. Let Jeremy's
magic fingers take your troubles away."
Scarab spun around in his pacing to face Adonis. The anger was
evident on his face. "I don't share your......proclivities, Adonis,
and I'm worried about her. What if something went wrong."
Just then the Necromancer entered the room. Her long blonde
hair hung over her shoulders, and her beauty was stunning. There
was a tightness about her eyes however that said she might have
recently suffered a bit of stress. Her gaze took in the King of
Wands as the youth continued to massage his bulging musculature.
Scarab quickly bowed on one knee taking her beautiful hand in
his own. He placed a light kiss on it, and she took it away quickly
rubbing her fingers together as if to clean them of debris.
"We were worried about you, my Queen," said the withered
Scarab as his eyes admired her exposed flesh left bare by the
white bikini she wore. "Was there trouble?"
"No trouble," said the Necromancer. "Just a bit of a
complication. Nothing that I couldn't handle. The fools will fall
blindly into our trap and then all that is the Hellfire Club's will
belong to us.....and their dying moments will be made even more
delicious by them knowing it was one of their own that betrayed
them."
Scarab watched her intently, as she in turn watched Adonis. She
began to speak.
"A massage may be just what I need," she purred climbing onto
the table next to Adonis.
"We're through here," said Adonis taking the youth by the hand
and leading him towards the showers. "I'll call you another
servant."
"I believe I'll have a massage with you," put in Scarab quickly.
The beautiful blonde looked at him coldly, as she got up to leave.
"I don't believe I'm in the mood any longer, Scarab. Good day."
And with that the beautiful blonde swayed out of the room
leaving her love struck lackey staring in her wake.