Lamia Prior: Baptised In Blood

Chapter Three

Abraham traced his hand along the wall as he approached what he knew to be the final bend that would take him to the great hall. The Underworld, in its most literal form, was a large echoing chamber with a tiled floor that spanned into what seemed to be endless darkness. Directly across from the tunnel exit, there was a great door built into the walls of stone, and above this, there was a balcony. From which many deaths had been viewed, many commands given and many revolting forms of archaic entertainment witnessed as a way to pass the decades. Beneath his fingers the earth was wet and there seemed to be a constant trickle of water that ran down the sides of the mud walls. 

The vampire crossed the threshold and then he moved into the chamber. His foot steps fell almost silently but still they echoed in the greatness of the hall. As he crossed toward the great doors, which were sealed and flush with stonework so as to be nearly undetectable, he saw a pale white figure writhe helplessly on the ground. Its movement was followed by the clang of the chains. The naked human was bound to the chamber floor. Across from Abraham, high up on the balcony, foot steps sounded, there were three sets of them. Abraham glanced up. The men were here to watch and he knew they would watch until the end. 

“Abraham, take her. She is yours.” 

“For what?”

“You’ve always asked too many questions. Cannot our guardian be rewarded for his dedication to the cause? News of your return has been spreading across all of Boston. It won’t be long until the Vampyra take the news with them when they move on.” 

“They’re moving on?”

“Of course they are, they always do. There are more ghouls this time, you’ll be, shall we say, more than entertained, for the next short while. We also hear you had an encounter with your brother this evening.” 

“Indeed, they are to be expected. He plans to move on after they’ve ransacked Boston. You make it sound as though they’ll be moving on much quicker than that.” 

“We’ve heard word, but that’s a few hours old by now. His plans?”

“They’re the same.”

“How terribly cliche. I wish he’d think of something more inventive, no werewolves, warlocks, not even an army of ghouls. Just a motley of Vampyra consuming all they can. Doesn’t it disgust you?”

“Yes.” 

Abraham looked away from the man on the balcony. Inside the chamber was pitch black. The nearest flame was at the bottom of the stone stairs Bram had come down only 15 minutes before. Nonetheless, the two could see each other as though the other man was standing toe-to-toe with him. The human, a woman,  writhed before him. She tried to moan but the sound came out as nothing more than a whimper. She’d been silenced. Must have been a screamer, Abraham thought to himself as his master leapt from the balcony and came to stand before him. 

“She is yours, Abraham, take her. She’s a virgin, but she will not turn, we have made sure of that. Please, brother, take her. You were poisoned, we can see that, all of us. You need her.”