Blood And Fire

Chapter 5-The Catacombs

     Now that her thirst had been quenched, the overpowering hunger that drives her subsides.  She becomes more aware of the unpleasant smells of the alley.  She drops the now cold body into a pile of rubbish.  Her sleek figure makes haste to retreat from these vile surroundings.

     Her full, red lips stand in stark contrast to her ivory face as she silently flees under the full moon's eerie green light.  Though she had long ago forgotten the feeling of remorse for her victims, she would rather not kill more than necessary.  The longer she lingers, the more likely she might be discovered.  She hurries along a back road and then lifts a grate in the ground and drops into the hole, securing the covering back into place. 

She has entered the catacombs.

     The catacombs are a labyrinth of tunnels dug beneath the thriving city.  Lined in mortar, they stay amazingly dry.  Precipitation and seepage from the surface infiltrate the soils beyond the walls, seeking the water table below.  The catacombs were designed specifically to ensure their contents would not intermingle with liquids from beyond their concrete confines.

     In the not too distant past, the city and many others like it suffered from a massive plague that threatened to doom its future.  It was soon realized that the mass graves that filled with the recently deceased were allowing the essence of the disease to permeate into the precious water supply.  In an effort to stop the plague from spreading further, bodies were sealed in vessels and an intricate series of crypts were established to house the dead.  The catacombs proved effective at alleviating the further ailments of the people.  Total annihilation was averted and the population eventually recovered.  The plague went away and normal burial practices returned, but the catacombs still remained.

     Her name is Nakira and she has been a vampire for just over seventeen years.  These catacombs had become her home since she had been turned.  It is where her present family lives, such that it is.

     The catacombs made the perfect home for the undead.  Humans were instinctively fearful of the underground labyrinth.  Daylight never touches these depths, and vast numbers of bodies are stacked on shelves throughout, a reminder of the ultimate fate all will eventually face.

      The tunnel Nakira follows gradually feeds into a large chamber.  The room is dimly lit by a line of dark candles following the perimeter.  Two figures are facing each other at the far end.  They notice her at once and stifle their hushed conversation.

     "You are the last to return, it is nearly dawn," the taller, more slender one says to Nakira.  He regards her nervously then adds, "We were about to lock up."

     "Thank you for keeping the lights on for me," Nakira replies dryly.  "Didn't mean to keep you up past bed time, Soren."  She gives the lanky vampire a challenging look.

     The shorter, stockier vampire next to Soren takes a half step towards Nakira and regards her with an air of superiority.  "One of these nights you will not make it back in time," he sneers.

     Nakira looks amused.  She chuckles lightly.  "Oh, Torr, assertiveness does not suit you."  She seems to enjoy the recoil of his expression at her words.  She turns to leave, waving a casual good bye after her back is turned to them.  "Good night, boys," she says as she is walking away.

     "Vlad is looking for you," Soren calls after her.  Nakira pauses only the briefest of moments to acknowledge Soren's voice, then continues down the corridor, leaving the chamber behind.