8. T H E E M P R E S S
Night had fallen over Paris, just as a thunderstorm subsided. A slick of water covered the blacktop streets, which were empty. A chilly breeze wove around the dewy homes, giving flight to drops of water. Grey clouds parted, to reveal the full moon which hung low, it's silver light swept over the land.
The Empress watched from her penthouse balcony, as her citizens were ushered to the colosseum just below the Eiffel Tower. In an orderly fashion the vampires were told to take their seats around the arena.
The colosseum had been constructed of alloy, and in a manner that put the audience below the battlefield. The Empress would stand at an elevated height, on a large circular slab of cement that was forever stained. There were three main rings around the colosseum, with square metal jutting from the floor, serving as hard uncompromising seats.
The Empress assessed those that she employed, a hard gleam in her feline eyes.
The Undead Army, was commanded by Octavius, who kept close watch of the vampire citizens. The Army encircled the inner ridge of the colosseum, two feet away from the elevated podium, where she was soon to make her appearance. The Empress didn't need the protection, but Octavius has been adamant that a precaution was always needed. He was large for a vampire, roped with a thick mass of muscle, and one of his eyes had rotted from a battle wound, which he wore like a trophy.
Then, there was her Court, who stood in a private booth among the common vampires. They wore thick hooded robes of purple, and masks made from gold. Her Court insisted never to reveal their identities to the rest of the world. Her lips sneered with distaste. There were nine members, all equal in build and height. A unified front they stood, waiting for what was to come.
The Empress wrenched her gaze from the group and searched the crowds for her Chief Advisor.
He was making rounds by the outer rim of the colosseum. He had instructed the Knights to stand at every entrance of the arena, they held large swords and stood ready for anything.
Absentmindedly, she ran her gloved fingers over the sleeve of her armour.
The Empress had removed her crown for a white headpiece. From the sides of the scaled covering, jutted two devilish horns. Her silver hair had been tucked away into the confinement. She was dressed in a suit of white metal that had silver spikes coming out of the shoulders, and arms.
One last time her green eyes roamed over her Court, and the men commanding her armies.
Finally, she observed her vampire citizens, they were malnourished, and could barely walk straight. Her law regulated that the average vampire could only consume one weekly vial of blood, from the Blood Bank. This was not even close to what was required of vampires to drink. But, this ensured they remain weak. With more vampires joining the Rebellion, she didn't seem to care if they were fed at all. But tonight, would be an exception.
A large set of curved iron doors rested behind the podium, with a whine they rolled up. At once the vampires could smell the potency of blood.
A Knight came forward the from the doors, holding a long chain of metal. Roughly, he pulled on the chain and the prisoners ambled forward. One human woman, two human men, and one male vampire. The Knight muttered a curse at their sloth like speed. The four chained beings, were bruised and bloody with fresh wounds. Their ankles had been shackled, so they had to drag their feet painfully. It took them a few moments, but finally they were positioned centre-stage. The Knight stood, a few feet behind them, enjoying the momentary trip of power.
It was like a light switch had been turned on, as the vampires in the crowd went from docile to crazed. Rising from their seats, mindless by the craving of human blood. Their hungry growls vibrated as one beast. Yet, they did not try to go past the barrier of the Undead Army. The vampires were no match for the Undead, who were stark white demon creatures gifted to The Empress. They were eight feet tall, had the body of a hulking giant, with only a round red mouth dominating their face. As of now, they sensed no danger and did not reveal their nightmarishly gruesome teeth. With one clawed touch the Undead could ash a vampire into oblivion.
The three human captives watched the crazed vampires with looks of horror, as they exchanged glances with one another.
The lone vampire who was also a prisoner and chained alongside the humans, wore an expression of revulsion.
"Let the show begin," The Empress declared. She began to shimmer while a dark light curved around her body. In a twister of dark magic, her form dissolved into a company of raven feathers. Down the side of the tower she went, swirling in the night. In a few moments she reached the middle of the arena. The raven feathers came together in a smoke of ebony, she materialised in front of everyone on the podium.
"Silence." The command was sounded throughout the arena. "My feral creatures, be silent." Her voice was extravagant, a rich lull that seated the vampires.
The nine members of Court, took their own seats and watched from their private booth, as their leader's aura breeched their very soul.
Her composed eyes moved over those she entrusted. The Court, her Chief, her General, her people. "I've been observing and waiting." The Empress murmured. "Hoping, that it would not come to this conclusion." The Empress chuckled, "but what fun would that be? If everyone submitted without a fight? It would be too easy."
Tension curved rigidly around the spines of those in attendance.
"I'm not going to prolong this," The Empress turned to the booth that held her Court, her eyes cut into the robed figures. "There is a traitor amongst us."
Despite the hunger, chatter broke out in waves in the crowd.
"Really, It's not that appalling, it's quite obvious. He's standing right there." The Empress pointed to the chained vampire known as Sebastian. She strolled towards him with a smile, "fallen in love with a human, how preposterous."
She curled her hand through his unruly hair, and yanked his head up so she could look at him. "Tell us Sebastian, was it worth it? Was it worth losing your immortality? Was her blood so glorious, that you had to betray your city?"
Sebastian grunted in pain, saliva dribbled from the corner of his mouth. She had cut out his tongue hours ago, with her bare fingers, then fed it to her pet hound. He hoped his eyes corroborated the hate he felt for her. She wanted to burn out that hatred and replace it with fear and regret, until he turned into a shell of nothing.
She moved behind Sebastian and spoke to him, but her eyes found General Octavius, he stood amongst the Undead Army, and she held his gaze. "This is what happens when you betray your Master. I made you who you are, what made you think I wouldn't destroy you if needed?" She broke their gaze, to look at the Knight, who stood behind her captives, his pride was dwindling by the minute.
"Do you need an invitation to get off my stage, or should I carry you out like a blushing bride?"
The man quickly bowed his apologies and rushed back to the double doors, rolling them down as he vanished.
The Empress surveyed the two male humans. One who had soiled himself with sick and the other who wouldn't stop convulsing with shivers.
Her hand swept through the air as her fingers clenched into a fist. The screaming sound of metal screeched through the arena.
The chains that connected all four prisoners broke, dangling from their bodies like appendages.
The Empress willed the men's shackles into her hands. Grasping them tightly in each hand, she walked forward with unnatural speed. The men were forced to a crawl as their bodies scraped against the cement floor.
A haze took over the woman then, as she allowed the wickedness to lead her. She dropped both sets of chains and pointed her index fingers at the men, they rose into the air, suspended on their backs. Their screams echoed in her ears, but it wasn't enough, it would never be enough.
"Les tordre en deux et me donner une pluie de sang." Her voice distorted into the hiss of a serpent.
Everyone watched transfixed as the men were propelled higher into the sky. Their bodies were illuminated by the moon, that seemed to slink closer and closer.
The shackles that hung from their necks and legs, buckled around their bodies. They were ensnared in a vice like grip. And the pain, it was so unbearable for the humans, that at times they couldn't even scream. Their eyes were riveted to the moon as every inch of their body coiled tighter around the metal.
"I have given my blood, sweat, and tears for everything that I have built. I will be damned if I let this Rebellion, this mutiny take it from me!"
A torrent of wind blew over the arena, as the bodies of the humans could take no more. The metal pierced through their flesh as blood rained down. It flew into the hungry crowd of vampires, who rose in their seats with open mouths. The drops stained The Empress in her armour of white, and she watched with cold eyes as her employees kept their faces calm. Above, human skin rotted away as the chains continued to constrict them. Finally, their bones crumbled into powder as metal bit away at them, like acid.
The woman strode back to the two remaining prisoners, she walked to the woman and bent to cup Celia's face.
"You took from me my toy, and made him your lover." She whispered into Celia's ear, the human woman sobbed in a pitiful sight, shaking her head. "So, it is only fair that you give me a new one."
The hysterical woman was brought to her feet. Surprisingly, The Empress wiped away Celia's tears. "It is time to prove your worth. You will breed until you have birthed my new blood slave."
The Empress snapped her fingers at a Knight that guarded the doors. With haste he made way to the stage.
"Take her to the compound." She said to him. The Empress brushed her fingers over the woman's face. "You live to see another year, you can thank your beauty for that."
"No!" Celia thrashed in the arms of the Knight who collected her. "No! Please! Don't do this!" Like a wild animal she fought until the Knight tightened his hold on her. She went limp in his arms as her oxygen was cut off. The Knight slung the woman over his shoulder, and walked into the night.
Sebastian's eyes watched as Celia's fate took her away from him. He was thankful, that she had not been robbed of her life, yet. Even if they were no longer meant to spend it together, at least she would be alive. His eyes closed as he remembered the contours of her body, the softness of her lips, the delicacy of her face. The faint whispers of her voice calling his name calmed his soul, and it was then he decided that he was ready for his death. He opened his eyes to see The Empress, staring at him.
He knew that she was sending a message to her enemies, and to the Rebellion. Try as they might, she'd find every single one of them and dispense her evil into them. Sebastian knew, that he would be the first and last example of what it meant to go against her.
Her fingers beckoned to him and he surged forward to her on his knees.
"It was I that chose you, it was my bite that saved you, and it was my blood that woke you." Her face twisted with menace. "You dare to defy your maker, very well." The Empress kicked Sebastian's body so he was sprawled against the floor, his skull cracked against the surface.
Sebastian's vision failed for a moment before he made out the terrible silhouette of The Empress. There was a look in her eyes that he had never seen, she was demented with something more then bloodlust. She held no remorse neither did she hold passion for this crime that she was about to commit.
Sebastian's body went cold as he realised that she had forsaken her soul. The look in her eyes was a vacant disregard for any and all life, aside from her own. He came to one final realisation, it would take more then just the Rebels to defeat her. It would take God himself, to come and condemn her.
The Empress's nails expanded to claws, with a swift strike she gutted his throat.
Sebastian felt nothing for a second and then the burn came, and his scream were guttural, as she continued to maim him. The blood seeped from his throat into his mouth until he was choking on it.
The vampires were still standing open mouthed, staring at the heavens with waiting tongues, as the blood rain continued to fall.
The Chief, General Octavius, and The Court watched with their insides quivering, although they'd never admit it. They could not tear their eyes away from their master who was showing them what she would readily do, if she discovered they had betrayed her.
The Empress tore Sebastian's chest open, and reached for his throbbing heart. She pulled it free from its confines, watched as his eyes seemed to lose all sense of life.
"Didn't I tell you I'd eat your heart out?"
Without hesitation she took a bite from the organ. Ecstasy rippled through her, she could feel his power becoming her's and she took a deep breath, thoroughly enjoying the act. Her tongue ran over her lips licking at the blood, and she laughed without mercy, without joy.
Her employers looked at one another, their faces rigid.
"I welcome the traitors, I welcome them with open arms!" She dangled the last piece of Sebastian's heart over her mouth and let it drop, catching it with her fangs.
Her hand ignited with a blaze of black fire, which she shot towards the vampire. Standing above the mangled scene she turned to survey the colosseum.
The Empress shimmered with a dark light. Her body was about to dissolve into a company of ebony feathers, when she spoke with an edge, "You're all dismissed for the night." She dematerialised.
The feathers twisted like a tornado, up the arena and scaled the side of the Eiffel, back to her suite.
She surged together in tendrils of smoke. She was about to bathe when a voice cut through her stupor.
Who was here? No one ever got into her suite, save for her servants. Just as she was about to release a series of revolting hexes at the entity, she saw him and stopped.
The Empress found the old man seated at a table on her balcony, drinking from her tea set.
The Shaman brushed aside the crumbs of a biscuit from his white beard. He looked at her with old eyes.
"It seems, that Destiny has brought us together again." He spoke with a soft voice. "I'm afraid your highness, that this time, you won't be able to cheat Fate."
The Empress glared at him before growling, "Come inside."