Darko Cernovsek
Soul Of Vengeance
// This post is from my longest-running roleplay with multiple partners, No Stones Unturned, which is about a cunning and crafty vampiress, Ixis, who has, through a very complex set of circumstances, found herself at the forefront of a covert war between her kind, the werewolves, and a totalitarian fascist regime seeking to use both for their own purposes, then exterminate both. This particular scene takes place in Cairo, Egypt, not long after Ixis had reunited with her old Master, in an alliance of convenience, since he has information that could be very valuable to the war effort, on the Vampires' side. While the two of them have been at odds for centuries, the current threat has made them put past grudges aside, at least for the time being. Little do they know, that even now, there is a werewolf spy in their midst. //
DISCLAIMER: The roleplay is quite graphic and gory at times, and this excerpt is one of those instances.
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Andros lagged behind to the back of the group, but careful not to look like she was lagging back. Once she was sure nobody could look over her shoulder, she pulled out her smartphone, and texted a very specific, encrypted recipient...
They've met. Didn't fuck each other up. Seem to be getting along. I haven't been exposed, not even Arameus can make me for what I am. Scent-dampening procedure is holding. Requesting further instructions.
As soon as she finished and sent it, she pocketed the phone, only the briefest glint of feral silver in her eyes, just as quickly gone, and rejoined the others, not even waiting for a reply. There would be time enough to look at it later.
***
OUTSKIRTS OF CAIRO... AN HOUR LATER
The group found themselves approaching the back entrance to a seemingly abandoned warehouse. A couple of... skinny, vacant looking... guards were on station next to the entrance, dressed in civilian clothes, but both armed with AK47s. Upon seeing Arameus, both bowed their heads, not daring to look their Master in the eye. Unlike Ixis, who left her Ghouls a degree of freedom, it seemed these two were completely mentally broken by Arameus. Seeing it, Romario blanched visibly.
"I guess not all vamps treat their ghouls the same... I'm glad he didn't make me one." - he whispered in Viola's ear, again very careful not to be overheard, least of all by Arameus.
Ixis noticed the guards' demeanour as well.
"Your Ghouls? Looks like you're already well-established around here." - she remarked.
"Indeed. As I stated, I was following up on a hunch. For quite some time, well before my release from my prison. I have had my minions establish this place. Call it a... research outpost. Of sorts. Well hidden, inconspicuous, and inconsequential to Egyptial authorities. Out of sight and out of mind, as the saying goes. And with the right amount of funds finding their way in the right pockets, anonymity was assured. Along with a steady supply of... cadavers." - he replied, raising an eyebrow.
"I keep forgetting just how long a reach you had, even stuck in there... so, what kind of research happens here? You mention cadavers..." - Ixis asked, tussling a strand of hair from her forehead, looking around. She couldn't see anything immediately out of place, but she could sense... a residue of death, hanging over the place like an invisible groundfog. Being undead, Vampires were very sensitive to death energies, and this place was reeking of them.
"Yes. In ancient times, Egypt was a focal point of occult activity, as I'm certain you're aware of. Didn't your... quest of vengeance on me... take you here, among other places? " - he lead on with a question.
Ixis shrugged.
"Yes, the library here in Cairo. I was going over whatever texts and scrolls survived since the Alexandria library destruction. Looking for anything involving spirit-binding and exorcism. But I don't see what that has to do with--" - she paused there, then gave her master a sharp look.
"Spirit-binding... I sense a lot of life has been extinguished here, relatively recently. Is that what you meant by 'cadavers'? I take it you were interested in their spirits? Why?" - she asked.
"Testing a hypothesis." - Arameus said coldly, stepping toward the warehouse door, and typing in a passcode on the keypad next to it.
The door slid aside, admitting them inside the warehouse. The place was set up like a operating ward, with tiled floors and ceiling. A few more of Arameus's ghouls were inside, working on mutilated human, wolf and dog corpses. A large Ankh, ancient egyptian symbol of life, hung from the ceiling, over a pentagram inscribed in blood.
"Lovely. Enough blood is being spilled here to sustain us both for weeks, if not months." - was Ixis's only comment, not the least bit disturbed by the scene. If anything, the pervasive odor of blood was making her... giddy. Arameus smirked at that, motioning at the other chamber, to the side. Through the half-open doors, a pool of blood could be seen, along with a few blood tanks.
She glanced in that direction, then ran a critical eye over the mutilated human and animal corpses, as Arameus led the group past the tables, to a side-office, on the far side of the chamber. All the human ones were missing heads. Some were also in the process of having their spinal columns removed. The Ghouls were stone-faced, as they used surgical saws to do their grisly work. The dog and wolf corpses were also missing their heads, as well as hearts, which were being carved out of the carcasses. Next to the Pentagram circle, dog and wolf hearts were being piled together, while dog and wolf heads were being positioned on the pentagram's point, with the headless human corpses below, arms and legs meeting the four other points of the star.
She narrowed her eyes.
"If I didn't know any better, I would think you're trying to animate some kind of human-dog hybrid? A wolf-blood? Through some kind of ritual?"
"Not animate. Destroy its spirit." - the master vampire countered, even more coldly, as he led the way into the side office.
Once inside, he walked over to another corpse resting on a separate surgical table, behind which a number of Xray images of it's internal organs could be seen ... but this one wasn't a human, a wolf, or a dog. This was a werewolf corpse. Taking a surgical saw himself, Arameus hacked off on one of it's limbs, then motioned Ixis to come closer.
"Take a look at this, Ixis. And tell me what you see."
Still not sure where he was going with this, the vampiress approached, and took the severed werewolf limb that he handed her.
"What am I looking at... ?" - she muttered, wrinkling her nose in disgust. Even dead, wolf-blood stench disgusted her.
And then she saw it. A small symbol, etched into the werewolf's humeral bone. A symbol of the ancient Egyptian god of death, Anubis. An aspect often depicted, as it was here, as well, as a human with a canine's head. It didn't look carved in. It looked as if the bone was formed with it already there. The vampiress's eyes widened, as she glanced up at Arameus again.
He nodded, with a humourless smirk.
"The wolf-bloods were first created in these lands, long before the ancient Egyptian civilisation, by the old gods, when they still walked the Earth. They are an aspect of what the ancient Egyptians called Anubis, the God of Death. Every single specimen I opened up, had this same symbol on it's bones. Whether born or turned."
Ixis mulled it over.
"So... if they were created by the ancient gods, you're trying to find out what separates their spirit... ?" - as he continued for her, his eyes now turning red in vindication.
"...and since wolf-blood spirits immediately fade after death, I am trying to animate the closest approximation of one, before quenching it's spirit. If successful, it will give us a means of eliminating them through spirit binding, once and for all."
"But what does all this have to do with the Coalition? You said you had reason to believe they knew about our kinds, long before they were a Coalition?" - Ixis pressed on, nodding.
Arameus gestured at the severed limb.
"The Coalition leadership has close ties with the Church. In fact, several of them are descendants of ancient Knights Templar. They would certainly have been aware of the pagan connection, they were mandated to exterminate it at it's source. And it's a well documented fact in Vatican archives, that they knew about both vampires and wolf-bloods, and have hunted both. They would know about the symbol, and where it came from. Until the formation of the Coalition, they had no secular power any longer, but now it serves as a perfect front, for them to continue on their 'divine mandate'." - he snarled.
"To wipe out the abominations. Both us, and the wolf-bloods." - Ixis caught on, her own eyes now red.
"They have covert expeditions here in Egypt, Ixis. Have had them, for at least a year. Searching for the same thing I just showed you - the means to bind our spirits." - Arameus nodded.
"You mean... we also were first created here?" - Ixis opened her mouth in surprise.
"Of course. Both of our species are creations of the ancient gods. Just as wolf-bloods are aspects of Anubis, we are an aspect of Bast. Did you ever wonder why all of the Kind are so well-liked by cats? And why we tend to prefer cats, over any other animal?"
Ixis nodded to herself, not answering. It did make sense. Before her Turning, she wasn't very fond of cats. But all of her existence as a Vampire, she was drawn to them, and had many cats as pets.
DISCLAIMER: The roleplay is quite graphic and gory at times, and this excerpt is one of those instances.
******************
******************
Andros lagged behind to the back of the group, but careful not to look like she was lagging back. Once she was sure nobody could look over her shoulder, she pulled out her smartphone, and texted a very specific, encrypted recipient...
They've met. Didn't fuck each other up. Seem to be getting along. I haven't been exposed, not even Arameus can make me for what I am. Scent-dampening procedure is holding. Requesting further instructions.
As soon as she finished and sent it, she pocketed the phone, only the briefest glint of feral silver in her eyes, just as quickly gone, and rejoined the others, not even waiting for a reply. There would be time enough to look at it later.
***
OUTSKIRTS OF CAIRO... AN HOUR LATER
The group found themselves approaching the back entrance to a seemingly abandoned warehouse. A couple of... skinny, vacant looking... guards were on station next to the entrance, dressed in civilian clothes, but both armed with AK47s. Upon seeing Arameus, both bowed their heads, not daring to look their Master in the eye. Unlike Ixis, who left her Ghouls a degree of freedom, it seemed these two were completely mentally broken by Arameus. Seeing it, Romario blanched visibly.
"I guess not all vamps treat their ghouls the same... I'm glad he didn't make me one." - he whispered in Viola's ear, again very careful not to be overheard, least of all by Arameus.
Ixis noticed the guards' demeanour as well.
"Your Ghouls? Looks like you're already well-established around here." - she remarked.
"Indeed. As I stated, I was following up on a hunch. For quite some time, well before my release from my prison. I have had my minions establish this place. Call it a... research outpost. Of sorts. Well hidden, inconspicuous, and inconsequential to Egyptial authorities. Out of sight and out of mind, as the saying goes. And with the right amount of funds finding their way in the right pockets, anonymity was assured. Along with a steady supply of... cadavers." - he replied, raising an eyebrow.
"I keep forgetting just how long a reach you had, even stuck in there... so, what kind of research happens here? You mention cadavers..." - Ixis asked, tussling a strand of hair from her forehead, looking around. She couldn't see anything immediately out of place, but she could sense... a residue of death, hanging over the place like an invisible groundfog. Being undead, Vampires were very sensitive to death energies, and this place was reeking of them.
"Yes. In ancient times, Egypt was a focal point of occult activity, as I'm certain you're aware of. Didn't your... quest of vengeance on me... take you here, among other places? " - he lead on with a question.
Ixis shrugged.
"Yes, the library here in Cairo. I was going over whatever texts and scrolls survived since the Alexandria library destruction. Looking for anything involving spirit-binding and exorcism. But I don't see what that has to do with--" - she paused there, then gave her master a sharp look.
"Spirit-binding... I sense a lot of life has been extinguished here, relatively recently. Is that what you meant by 'cadavers'? I take it you were interested in their spirits? Why?" - she asked.
"Testing a hypothesis." - Arameus said coldly, stepping toward the warehouse door, and typing in a passcode on the keypad next to it.
The door slid aside, admitting them inside the warehouse. The place was set up like a operating ward, with tiled floors and ceiling. A few more of Arameus's ghouls were inside, working on mutilated human, wolf and dog corpses. A large Ankh, ancient egyptian symbol of life, hung from the ceiling, over a pentagram inscribed in blood.
"Lovely. Enough blood is being spilled here to sustain us both for weeks, if not months." - was Ixis's only comment, not the least bit disturbed by the scene. If anything, the pervasive odor of blood was making her... giddy. Arameus smirked at that, motioning at the other chamber, to the side. Through the half-open doors, a pool of blood could be seen, along with a few blood tanks.
She glanced in that direction, then ran a critical eye over the mutilated human and animal corpses, as Arameus led the group past the tables, to a side-office, on the far side of the chamber. All the human ones were missing heads. Some were also in the process of having their spinal columns removed. The Ghouls were stone-faced, as they used surgical saws to do their grisly work. The dog and wolf corpses were also missing their heads, as well as hearts, which were being carved out of the carcasses. Next to the Pentagram circle, dog and wolf hearts were being piled together, while dog and wolf heads were being positioned on the pentagram's point, with the headless human corpses below, arms and legs meeting the four other points of the star.
She narrowed her eyes.
"If I didn't know any better, I would think you're trying to animate some kind of human-dog hybrid? A wolf-blood? Through some kind of ritual?"
"Not animate. Destroy its spirit." - the master vampire countered, even more coldly, as he led the way into the side office.
Once inside, he walked over to another corpse resting on a separate surgical table, behind which a number of Xray images of it's internal organs could be seen ... but this one wasn't a human, a wolf, or a dog. This was a werewolf corpse. Taking a surgical saw himself, Arameus hacked off on one of it's limbs, then motioned Ixis to come closer.
"Take a look at this, Ixis. And tell me what you see."
Still not sure where he was going with this, the vampiress approached, and took the severed werewolf limb that he handed her.
"What am I looking at... ?" - she muttered, wrinkling her nose in disgust. Even dead, wolf-blood stench disgusted her.
And then she saw it. A small symbol, etched into the werewolf's humeral bone. A symbol of the ancient Egyptian god of death, Anubis. An aspect often depicted, as it was here, as well, as a human with a canine's head. It didn't look carved in. It looked as if the bone was formed with it already there. The vampiress's eyes widened, as she glanced up at Arameus again.
He nodded, with a humourless smirk.
"The wolf-bloods were first created in these lands, long before the ancient Egyptian civilisation, by the old gods, when they still walked the Earth. They are an aspect of what the ancient Egyptians called Anubis, the God of Death. Every single specimen I opened up, had this same symbol on it's bones. Whether born or turned."
Ixis mulled it over.
"So... if they were created by the ancient gods, you're trying to find out what separates their spirit... ?" - as he continued for her, his eyes now turning red in vindication.
"...and since wolf-blood spirits immediately fade after death, I am trying to animate the closest approximation of one, before quenching it's spirit. If successful, it will give us a means of eliminating them through spirit binding, once and for all."
"But what does all this have to do with the Coalition? You said you had reason to believe they knew about our kinds, long before they were a Coalition?" - Ixis pressed on, nodding.
Arameus gestured at the severed limb.
"The Coalition leadership has close ties with the Church. In fact, several of them are descendants of ancient Knights Templar. They would certainly have been aware of the pagan connection, they were mandated to exterminate it at it's source. And it's a well documented fact in Vatican archives, that they knew about both vampires and wolf-bloods, and have hunted both. They would know about the symbol, and where it came from. Until the formation of the Coalition, they had no secular power any longer, but now it serves as a perfect front, for them to continue on their 'divine mandate'." - he snarled.
"To wipe out the abominations. Both us, and the wolf-bloods." - Ixis caught on, her own eyes now red.
"They have covert expeditions here in Egypt, Ixis. Have had them, for at least a year. Searching for the same thing I just showed you - the means to bind our spirits." - Arameus nodded.
"You mean... we also were first created here?" - Ixis opened her mouth in surprise.
"Of course. Both of our species are creations of the ancient gods. Just as wolf-bloods are aspects of Anubis, we are an aspect of Bast. Did you ever wonder why all of the Kind are so well-liked by cats? And why we tend to prefer cats, over any other animal?"
Ixis nodded to herself, not answering. It did make sense. Before her Turning, she wasn't very fond of cats. But all of her existence as a Vampire, she was drawn to them, and had many cats as pets.