4. Raknath Society
Raknath Society
Staring at the pages of the book unseeingly, frustration boils inside me that I can't understand the symbols. I don't know how long I stood there staring but it was long enough, because I didn't notice I was also being watched! Starting with surprise I look into violet eyes aglow in the shadows a few shelves away! A man steps forward into the light. His body is lithe and graceful like that of a panther. Hair brushes his shoulders, black and tightly curled into natural ringlets. His face is sculpted and his skin flashes much like mine, though his eyes are more of an icy blue. This man is the most gorgeous man I've ever seen!
Falling into a crouch automatically a hiss escapes my throat. Carefully the man steps back a step and holds up his hands in the,I-mean-you-no-harm, sort of way. Slowly I stand and ask softly
"What is happening to me?" As my voice breaks. The man looks at me sympathetically.
"It's a long story." He sighs.
"Come, sit down, I'll get ye some wine." He gestures to a high-backed chair by a fireplace at the back of the building and as I seat myself he disappears into a room to my left. Warming my fingers I wait and giggle as I watch Iris back herself up in front of the fireplace so that she's soaking up every last bit of warmth. The man returns with two wine flutes and a very old looking, dusty, bottle of wine.
"You, don't have company often", I remark dryly.
He ignores the remark and pours the wine handing me a glass. Sniffing, I realize it's infused with blood! Accusingly I stare hard at him.
"Hey, don't look at me like that it's bagged blood, not fresh!" He says defensively. Blinking dumbstruck and completely taken aback;
"Bagged?" He raises his eyebrow at me,
"Yes bagged, if ye didn't figure that out, then how many bodies have ye left behind?" He asks not unkindly but sharply. Blinking back a film of tears I whisper,
"Two." The word echoes in the air around us despite my tone. Iris perks her head up and chirps at me as if to ask if I'm okay. Nodding in her direction, she lays back down and closes her eyes again.
"I'm James." He says gently his tone filled with pity and regret.
"I'm Nikko." Comes my meek reply.
"Now why am I here? What happened to me?" My eyes lock onto his in desperation.
"Please just tell me." I ignore the wine, setting it down.
Sighing he sets down his glass and looks at me.
"Ye've been turned into an ancient race of vampire called the Raknath. Probably by someone higher up in the ranks of our society. They are really the only ones allowed to turn people." Speaking monotonously.
"We are Born with powers and companions," He gestures at Iris.
"If ye are most unfortunate, like me, ye end up here when your companion dies." He spoke this last part flatly, bitterly.
My voice soften as I whispered horrified
"You lost your....?"
"Yes. I lost him. He was a falcon. We were to the point our minds were like one when we were attacked by a beholder..." his voice broke and trailed off as I started and bounced to my feet!
"Wait, they are different creatures for each vampire?!?"
"Yes." His voice still soft.
"And what's a beholder?" He stood and grabbed a nearby book off a shelf and handed it to me open to a middle page. On the page was the same strange creature that had ransacked my home that morning! My mouth opens and I press my lips together.
"This is the creature I was running from when I found this place!" My eyes wide as I look into his face.
"You don't think...?" I continue.
"It's possible." He said his mouth set in a grim line.
Perking up, sitting on the edge of my seat; I down my glass of wine in one gulp.
"Teach me what I need to know to go after this thing with you!"
"Let's get your Justice!" He stares wide eyed at me.
"Do ye realize what yer asking?!?!?"
"Yet asking me to teach ye years worth of combat training and magic skills training in a matter of days... impossible." Ending on a flat note.
"If anyone can do it it's You, James." He sighs resigned.
"Fine. Let's get started." He stands and says
"Come." Leading my down into the basement.
Once downstairs I see that the basement is filled with combat equipment, armor, weapons, training dummies, you name it. I start to feel a bit more overwhelmed. James hands me a set of leather armor and tells me to put it all on even the gloves. Stripping off my coat and gloves I get to work putting the leather over my civilian clothes. James begins teaching me how to take a hit, and how to block an incoming strike. Training has begun.
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I continue to make progress over the next few days and Iris grows larger, she now is the size of a large dog. Our mental link grows stronger, til finally:
"Mistress Nikko, wake up! Master James says it's time for you to get up!" There is a rustling and much jumbling as my bed begins to shake violently. Groaning, I open my eyes and stare accusingly at my intruder, Iris is staring at me insistently.
"Did you just talk to me?" I blink at her confusedly.
"Yes", she nods impatiently,
"Now get up!" Still grumbling, I crawl out of bed and join James in the study. He is teaching me more about Beholder lore today!
"Okay! Today is the day! Ye'be learned how to fight as best I can teach ye, ye've learned the basics of our magic and the costs, now I have but one thing left to teach ye." James started.
"I'm ready." I said Solemnly.
"Beholders are powerful magical beasts, their central eye negates magic wherever it looks so avoid it, though I am not sure it will work on our magic. The other eyes can either disintegrate you, turn you to stone, cause you to be afraid, burn you, or lift you from the ground, avoid their eye beams at all costs!" James continues emphatically. I'm beginning to be a bit afraid I won't come out of this alive, but I have to trust in my training. Looking at James I relax,
"It's Time." I say with finality.
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"First we must replace me, I cannot leave the safe house unguarded." James whispers softly as we trace our way across town through the shadows. We come across a boy of myaybe 16-17 years old.
"He'll do." I said appraisingly. All the while I feel guilt at taking this poor kids life away from him as ours were taken from us; but it can't be helped. Sneaking up behind him I grab his mind with mine and hold him. James runs up and bites himself, thrusting the wound against the poor kids mouth as I will him to swallow. He swallows. As the kid changes James imbues him with all his knowledge and skills, it's a cheap move and will leave him a little confused. We are in a hurry though, otherwise we would not rush things so. I send him on his way to the library with instructions: stay and tend to things in James stead. I feel again, a twinge of guilt as I think of the boys mother waiting for him to come home later that night. He never shall again.
Fuck.
Next we trace our way back to my house: the last known location of the beholder. We arrive by dropping down the chimney. Crouching down we make our way toward the kitchen. Arriving we find it empty, I sniff the air I can still smell traces of the aberration, but they are faint. It had left here shortly after arriving, there were burn marks throughout the house where it had searched for Iris and I.
Following the trail of destruction, we are lead through thick woods at the back of the house where it tried and failed to follow us through the trees. (Having went in the opposite direction.) Eventually we end up at a cave deep in the thick of the trees and I get the ominous sense that this is our destination.
The entrance to the cave is much more vast than it first appeared to be. Within the mouth it must be fifty feet across and 100 feet tall. In the distance; the sound of dripping can be heard. The flutter and chirps of bats also reaches us, but otherwise it is suspiciously quiet. We delve deeper toward the center. It grows darker and all you can see is the glow of our eyes in the surrounding inky blackness, though we can see perfectly. The tunnels around us twist and turn several times. Ahead, the tunnel opens up and there is a faint glow coming from the connecting chamber. Crouching in the entrance; we peer into the chamber, Iris pacing impatiently beside us in nervous anticipation. Her nerves reach across our mental link and roil around in my stomach. In the chamber, we see our quarry floating lazily above a pile of bones that litter the floor.
The Beholder's back is to us currently which is a blessing. Deciding to test a theory I take my knife out and cut my hand in a swift motion dipping my finger into the blood and drawing a symbol on the tunnel wall next to me. Almost instantly the light around us bends and refracts hiding us from sight. We already know most invisibility spells won't fool a beholder but I want to see if our magic is an exception. Advancing forward, careful of our feet, we sneak up behind the beholder getting within inches undetected. It seems my magic does indeed work thus far. Suddenly, the beholder turns! It's full gaze falling upon us, it blinks and yawns. The aberration cannot see us! I think quickly to Iris,
"Do you want the honor?"
"Gladly" she growls with pleasure through our link.
She strikes out at the beholder's central eye with her claws sinking her arms in so deep she destroys its brain instantly. The beholder falls to the ground with a resounding
BOOM.
I drop our illusion and grab James in a hug shouting,
"We did it!" when suddenly there is a rumbling from deeper within the cave!
"RUN!!!" Shouts James as he grabs my hand and pulls me toward the exit as fast as we can fly!
Behind us there is a loud roar and I dare not glance back. I grab my sword as I catch the reflection of a lizard-like creature in a puddle of water ahead of us, I look away quickly realizing it's a basilisk!! I jump toward the cave wall forcing myself to ricochet off the wall back toward the monster! I close my eyes and use my sense of hearing to my advantage as I land on its head; I stab my sword downward. Shrieking the basilisk falls to the ground and I slide off of it opening my eyes once more. James just stares at me in open-mouthed shock. Smiling triumphantly I simply say
"You trained me well and I HAD to do something, it was almost on us."
We head back to the entrance in silence.
Finally, I say
"So, do you feel better now? What will you do next?"
James glances at me,
"I want to go wherever ye go. I look at him, surprised.
"I believe ye can do anything." He continues.
I pause for a moment thinking and then reply,
"Then lets take this Society down once and for all." I say with fire in my voice. James looks at me in shock again.
"Why?"
"Because things shouldn't be this way James, this life should be a choice not thrust upon unwilling people! The rules and rights of our people need to change and I aim to see it happen!" I said vehemently. James looked at me with a spark of something in his eye.
"What?" I question.
"Yer something, ye know that?"
"Yep." Both laughing we walk off into the sunset.