Chapter Four: The Elder Speaks

Chapter Four: The Elder speaks.

Trevor Clevantes flew overloaded through the night winds drying zombie gore streaking his chiseled features matting his blonde hair. He grew weaker by the minute as the night would soon give way to day his last feeding was but a snack not even half the meal he would usually partake. Valerie Couts herself one of the beautiful people could sense the fatigue that ran just below the surface of the vampires calm demeanor. The cityscape below them lay strewn with the bodies of humans gutted and mutilated by the living dead who shuffled about in search of new flesh to rend from bone. Occasionally one would look up to see them and paw towards the sky mouth agape gnawing at the air. The trio arrived at an opulent brick home nestled upon a dead end street with a castle like ten foot high brick fence surrounding the property. There appeared to be none of the crazed dead on the grounds the back of which ran to the beach and the sandy shores of Lake Michigan. Trevor landed heavily on the lush mid-summer's green grass. Cautiously they scanned the area for ghouls Robert sweating but chilled clutching his axe unsure as to weather he really trusted their tour guide to all things dead. Val’s four bullet clip held within the 9mm Glock on the ready. "I implore you my friends you must observe the rules of the Lord of the manner most strictly!" Trevor continued very few humans have seen what you shall this night. Even fewer have seen it and lived to see the next cursed sunrise.""And that is what?” Rob was more than happy to aggravate and antagonize Trevor "Azrael the Elder." The group walked to the house on the soft grass their arrival bringing the undead over for a look at the fence. However the Iron Gate would have no problems keeping hundreds of them at bay. "What is an Elder?" Val whispered as they cautiously walked to the dark manor.


"Not an Elder ...The Elder!" Trevor punctuated his words eyes shinning like a man summoned to his bosses, bosses office. "Azrael has been referred to by many names his complete title is Azrael the Arch Angel to the House of Scorpio. Due to the fact he originally came into being under the zodiac sign of Scorpio centuries ago.” Once at the threshold of the house Trevor bowed his head and whispered silently to himself. "I thought your father was the La… de da grand high king of......" Roberts’s mockery cut off mid word by a quick snake like backhand. "That was just a warning my friend indeed make no mistake about it!" Robert was stunned his face ached from the impact but he also knew it could have been worse. Spoke the beautiful vampire prince "You will never disrespect my father or my family name. Secondly listen closely the being which you are about to meet has destroyed entire civilizations. Lord Azrael was once the King of all of my kind after abdicating the throne he is still the power behind the entire vampire domain!" Trevor’s words fast and furious colored with honor brushed with fear. "He is merciless if you desire your life don't speak directly to him unless he asks you and never make eye contact with him! Do you understand me?" Val thought as she nodded her head wordlessly that she'd rather face the army of the undead than this thing Trevor spoke of with such fear and respect. Rob massaged his swelling jaw line. "Azrael has been alive for twelve hundred years since your species dwelt in caves and nearly had a spoken language. He is the oldest and most feared of our kind none move with out his blessing!" Trevor leaned in attempting to clean himself up some what "Lest none of us leave here alive!" With no trepidation Trevor climbed the stairs to the lair of the creature he'd been brought before for every milestone of his life to be judge. He had been taught sheer reverence for the vampire of vampires. The stories he'd heard of this great being’s deeds and miss deeds were sometimes the focal point of legends. Other times the bindings of nightmares. Robert and Valerie were not as brave they stood bolted to the ground shivering. The pair debated their choices of hiding versus the desire to run into the throngs of the dead rather than walk into the dark house. "Trevor!" Val called the young vampire turned shooting her a violent stare. When Valerie had a question she had to ask it regardless of the consequences. "Why did he give up the throne?!" she whispered aloud. "Because I chose a mortal woman to be my bride” resonating from the black doorway came a deep harsh gravelly voice. It was dry yet the words emitted seemed alive and powerful like a physical force.


No hesitation as Trevor Clevantes fell to his knees on the porch hoping his friends did the same. Heads cast down prostrate Val and Rob held their breath. "Welcome child arise Trevor." immediately Trevor did as he was commanded stepping into the darkness and into the embrace of his grandfather. The two walked into the house further until they reached a dimly lit room which faces out to the placid water of the ink black lake. Azrael or the mortal name he went by Ian Clevantes was a creature who'd been everywhere releasing his scourge along with his seed on every continent on earth. He was the god the ancient Incan and Mayans worshipped until on a whim he banished them from the face of the planet. He'd been the man Londoner's had named "Jack the Ripper!" So, many others too many to name each time unleashing whatever he choose upon humanity. Until a hundred years hence he beheld a farmer’s daughter one night as he set to kill the entire household. Ester Jones was a raven haired beauty whom every boy in the surrounding counties of northern Illinois had courted. Azrael had been with thousands of woman some of the worlds most beautiful who willingly had succumbed to his seduction, but this girl’s beauty defied every urge to kill with in the core of the soulless demon. So, for the first and only time a vampire king took an unchanged mortal woman for his bride giving the throne to his first son Arthur Clevantes. Trevor beheld his mentor the maker of his clan who had allowed himself to age to match his wife’s appearance. Ester Jones and the vampire lord conceived no children for it was not possible as he used his knowledge of human anatomy and periodic bloodlettings to retard Ester’s aging process somewhat for at ninety eight she looked no older than forty five when last Trevor had an audience with her. Azrael's hair was a radiant white flowing to his shoulders unbound. His some what wrinkled skin, he resembled a pale sixty year old overly athletic grandfather not the unholy council of the vampire species.


"Why have you come here child and brought humans to my doorstep no less." He stood staring at the waves through the large picture window at the rear of the house. "Forgive me Lord Azrael, we seek sanctuary from the suns harsh rays. As I was en route home when this plague beset humanity and tore it to pieces. I was at starvations door when those humans agreed to accompany me home to sustain my family in exchange for my protection." Head bowed in subservience Trevor avoids eye contact. Azreal summoned the prince to his side Trevor moved quietly across the room. "My child you dare make a deal with humans to protect your family and yet they have willingly agreed to become livestock?" The young immortal swallowed hard "No sir they will live among us and flourish that they may breed that we all both human and........" Azrael’s gruff hands came to Trevor’s bare neck, but still Trevor continued to talk. "Vampires will survive this punishment!" Slowly the ancient creature began to stroke the smooth cheek of the youthful two hundred year old immortal. "Remember from the day of your birth my child that I destined you to rule our kind." Azrael smiled and Trevor began to relax "you have the foresight required to be King for without humans we will assuredly become extinct! Bring in your precious cargo my child and take shelter here for the day. I do not know of the state of your family nor any of the other clans. Without modern communication we are as cut off as humans. As we have lost our ability to telepathically connect because it went unused for eons." Trevor made time to the front of the house where Val and Rob stood scanning nervously to and fro. "Come in my friends please have a seat in the foyer!" urgently they came neither wanting to, but again the alternatives left them no choice. "It’s about time." Rob murmured Trevor’s eyes burned that shade of red once more but he had no time to discipline Robert. Latching the solid reinforced door he returned to Azrael’s side.


"What has caused this disharmony upon the earth my Lord?" Trevor inquired of his Elder. "I do not know my child... I simply do not understand. “Azrael’s bony had stroked his chin “You know that the Christians believe that their God will raise the dead as punishment against the living before his return. Perhaps after centuries of speculation, he has done just that. That aside young Trevor they believe the meek shall inherit the earth. You and I know better, but these foul creatures who destroy all feasting upon living humans have taken the earth in a bloody coup. Usurping us of our rightful place vile FILTH!" Lord Azrael’s eyes burned white illuminating the house like spotlights as if day had come. Instinctively Trevor covered his eyes while in the front of the house Valerie and Rob clung to each other in sheer terror. His fury peeked Azrael’s white flame eyes returned to normal. "They have taken M’lady Ester form me Trevor my heart no longer beats as she is among their undead minion."The old vampire sank into a hand crafted leather Italian chair. Trevor rushed to the Lord of the Nightwalkers kissing his hand kneeling at his feet. For he knew the depths of his Grandfathers love for the human Ester Jones all of his kind did. "My Lord I pledge to you but say the word I will go forth and bring you heart after heart of this putrid horde until I find the one who has taken M’lady Ester from you!" Azrael took the chin of his two hundred and fifty third grandchild, his favorite of all. "My child you can bring me every heart but that of the woman I have loved since before mankind could fly." Azrael ran his hand through Trevor stained blonde hair. "Go my child my blessing on your quest to carry on my blood line. Cleanse yourself take of my home and my bed. For the sun will come soon and I will meet it on the field of battle." Trevor made as if to speak Azrael gently as a human grandfather placed his hands upon his lips to quite him. He kissed the seed of his eldest son. "It is my will child, I must have vengeance and pass what I am unto the next world. Rest well for you must not fail and when you leave burn this house to its foundation." Trevor nodded tears flowing down his dirty face he took leave of his grandfather gathering up his companions and securing the house. Azrael sat he began to sip a fifty year old scotch his favorite. In his mind played a thousand plus years of night he mused weather or not he would even see the sun before the end came. It had been hundreds of years since he'd seen it last, he was stoic in his indignation. In less than an hour he would tear thought the siege at the gates of his house members of which had taken his beloved Ester if he could still cry he would have. Soon his wrath would play out against hundreds of the living dead his sword would taste black blood as he went to meet his bride in the void. In the dimly lit dark his six inch long fangs barely visible as he smiled pearl white teeth glistening.