[Draft 1] Vampyre Necromancer (CoU: Vampyre War Trilogy: Book 1)

Chapter Seven

A thunderous boom shook the earth and flung Christian out of the bunk in a heap of body parts and blankets. He looked up and saw that Serina had fallen off her chair. The young lady got up gracefully and held her hand out to the young vampyre to help him off the floor. Her long, silken hair had been pulled into a messy knot at the nape of her neck and her eyes sparkled in the torch light. Christian found it hard to find his legs as he stood up, seeing the red dress which clung to Serina's body so tightly.

"Thank you." He cleared his throat. Hoping she had not noticed the constriction. "What was that?"

"The trolls." Serina replied nonchalantly. "They are bombarding the mountain with boulders." She turned away to the bookshelf.

"They're doing what?" Christian whirled around, his boots flying dangerously in his hands.

"They are trying to break the mountain. It is their idea of war." Serina pulled a book from the shelf and flipped through it absentmindedly.

"So, this has happened before?"

"It happens occasionally, when the troll clan that live in the mountains believe the elves to be in danger." A smile played at her lips as she handed Christian the book she had been looking through.

"The elves? What have they got to do with the elves?" Christian shrugged on his shirt, fumbling slightly with the buttons.

"The trolls are the natural guardians of the elves and borderlands. There is not much for them to do anymore. When they think something has happened, they retaliate with much vengeance and enthusiasm."

"And, no one's worried?" Christian finished lacing his boots and picked the book up again. He momentarily what had happened to the chest that Andreas had packed for him at the castle, but Serina's next words distracted him.

"Not at all. The mountain will not fail, I assure you. It is much too closely guarded and very well protected with enchantments." She sat down again and, before Christian could replu, continued. "The book I have given you is a very simple map of our mountain dwelling. Our halls go up and into the mountain itself, so this map will help guide you. Losing energy as you did, after such exertion and so soon after your turning, is not uncommon. Do not concern yourself about it, or believe this makes you weak. Firstly, I will take you to see the Heads and we shall discuss not only the magick you wrought, but also who will guide you in your learning. Though, I highly expect it shall be me." She finished, her previous irritability with Christian showing again and her friendliness seemingly exhausted. "Come. Follow me."

Christian followed her back to the hall he had briefly seen when they first arrived. Across the hall were two enormous double doors, they were wonderfully engraved in what Christian thought to be the ancient language of the vampyres. The same two guards from the previous night were still there, or were on duty again. Serina went to the doors and pushed them open with authority, nodding slightly to both guards.

The room inside was large and not dissimilar to the throne room in Urthan. There was a dais towards the back of the room with four large chairs equidistantly placed upon it. Each chair was the same shape, but different colours. Two chairs were wrought in gold, one covered with red material and one with dark golden yellow. The other two chairs were wrought in silver, one covered in blue material and one with black. Christian realised that the colouring of the materials matched the shade of the velvet cloaks. From a distance, Christian could see that the chair materials were not solid, but patterned although he could not entirely determine the pattern. The walls were hung with coloured pennants, outlined and embossed with gold or silver dependant on the colour of the pennant. Christian recognised the embossed insignia as that of the vampiric ambassadors to the human rulers.