WBM
Chapter Seven
Rabid
~SV~
Kolo’s Craftroom, 1 AM, 677, 29th, October
Kolo stalks her, as the Egyptian hisses, “You both deserve far worse, than I am capable of doing!” Her chain ends, he grabs her, seething, “I know you poisoned me! Guess what I will do to you!” He tosses her in her chair, strapping her to it, and cuffs her hands. Kolo sees the leaf debris, on the floor by her feet, gathering it. He sees it is the leaf from the Angel’s Trumpet and recalls all of that small tree is deadly, even inhaling it. He knows he was lucky.
The Evil One goes to the cupboard; grinds the poisonous leaf bits with the mortar and pestle, he dumps it into the flagon with the dragon. There is an eerie silence, as Kolo grins while pouring blood in, over the poisonous Destroying Angel mushroom in his flagon with a dragon. The Evil One vigorously stirs it with a stick, as he comes to Nepathi, and now forces it down her throat. The Egyptian chokes trying to spit it out, she fails swallowing most.
Kolo hisses, “I will do more to you, later.” Nepathi seethes, “I hope Lola kills you, violently!” Turning, the Evil One starts with Darciana, as he snaps her neck. Seeing her slump in her chair, Samala tells him, “I almost found Sidonia, with some quiet, I am likely to succeed while you are gone.” He sees the hurt in her eyes, as he breaks her neck; Kolo says to himself, “I do not trust you my Mad Queen. This way you will all be waking near the time I return.”
Kolo leaves, “I might allow some to barter for their life. Or kill you all. What a fun reward for your betrayals. While gone, I will decide how, making it the most painful way yet, taking far longer to die.” Once in the house above, he commands Luke and Tad, “Gather shovels and rope.” He tells Richard, “Carry me to my carriage.” He orders Turley, “I will direct you to the graveyard, where Lola was buried a few decades ago. I am certain I still remember the way.”
~*~
Half Moon Bay, 1 AM, 677, 29th, October
Sidonia’s dream-vision is of six hours earlier, as the Lake Bled Clan’s Warg event continues, it shows her the 28th, nearing sunset. Following Krist’s Warg Wolf tracks, Xiko and his men rush on, thinking they are gaining on him again. Xiko now groans, seeing Krist’s Wolf has led them to an area where the Warg created a two-hundred-foot circle. Earlier Krist ran over his own tracks at least fifty times, even turning to go the opposite way half as many times.
Xiko calls out to his clansmen, “Halt.” Their Leader says, “Kristopher has gone over his own tracks; it is too dark, making it impossible to determine the freshest ones. Light your torches then spread out around this circle, look for any of his tracks that lead away from it.” His men nod; Xiko hopes Wink and his group are having better luck than they are having.
~*~
Dark Elf Desert Castle, 1 AM, 677, 29th, October
For the first time since Vanna’s arrival, Bailey looks to his wife planning to give her a smug smile; in his mind, he just won. Bailey is sure his Queen will see it too and admit that he proved his plan was the right one. He wants to see the expression of acceptance on Vanna’s face. When he sees the gloomy appearance, his wife has and her failure to even glance his way, it causes him to frown; he only sees Vanna’s gaze remains fixed on the floor.
Bailey is annoyed that she is unaware of his win. King Haldir scoffs, “The Vampires stay! I brought them here, and they only leave when I say so.” Anthony’s jaw tightens, and his Vampires grumble. The High Lord and his squads are displeased with King Haldir’s arrogance. The Dark Elf is unaware that the vampires present, are at least a century older than his mere forty years. It wears on Anthony’s patience; recalling Obsidian’s warning, helps him to endure it.
Imprudently, Dark Elf Haldir corrects Bailey, “I will not be sending my females to your kingdom. Instead, as compensation, you will be sending product from your factories, and coin, to pay for your duplicity in all your son did. And rather than ever enjoying my daughter further, Alrod will spend ten years as my guest, confined in a cell. My vampires will see that my demands are met!” He nods to his guards. Vanna gasps, as they come for Alrod.
The Light Elf Queen fears they are taking her son to prison, right now. High Lord Anthony’s voice, breaks into everyone’s thoughts and actions; as he commands, “You will not, imprison Prince Alrod, yet. If no agreement can be reached, we will hold a trial. That is why we are here, to make certain, all is justified.”
~*~
Erik is coming up behind Trek when suddenly the old man darts off in the wrong direction. Erik loses speed, as he cannot adapt in time to keep up with Trek who is tall and lanky. Dietrich is further behind and able to turn with Trek; getting closer, Dietrich calls to him, “Trek why are you running? I fear you will fall.”
Erik yells, “We do not want you to harm yourself! Wait for us, so we can help you.” As the old man looks at him, Dietrich slows; no longer certain that he wants to catch him, he fears Trek is contagious. Dietrich calls back, “Erik! We have another problem. I think Trek is barking mad!” Erik yells, “What?” Dietrich calls out, “Trek is foaming at the mouth. I do not want to get too close. What do we do now?” Erik gasps, “You think Trek is ‘Rabid’. Oh, grim!”
Dietrich shrugs, “I am not sure. I just know I do not want whatever this is! I am afraid he is too dangerous to handle. We need to get close enough to knock him out.” Groaning Erik looks for something to use, as they run trying to catch him. Dietrich yells, “Crap, I think he is going for the bloody herd!” Erik groans and runs for one of the boys watching the flock. Grabbing his shepherd’s cane, he tells the boy, “Run to camp, warn them that Trek is rabid!”
~*~
Burial Place, 1 AM, 677, 29th, October
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The dark murky blue mist sent by Nepathi’s spell, seeps lower into the ground, going down to find Lola. Slowly, it settles around her soul, causing a painful sensation as her green rune marks glow when it begins to bind with her, making her whole. The pain of it causes Lola to become conscious and her first sense, is of her great discomfort. The space becomes confining, as she becomes denser. Her glow swells from a pebble to the whole of her being.
Lola gets a slight renewal and self-awareness that she was missing. However, the whisperings start, again. This time she hears and understands their words, knowing pain at their claws, yet cannot move or get away. One mocks, “Do you see who this is?” Nearer, a second says, “Oh, it is the tormenter.” A third asks, “What is she doing here?” A fourth female says, “She deserves worse than here.” The fifth sneers at Lola, “Did your brother tire of your tacky taunts?”
The first comes closer, hissing, “I bet a stronger body kicked her out.” The second mocks, “I hope it hurt.” Lola hears their demented laughter. The threats begin, as they come to tear at Lola’s mind and soul. She wonders how they know her. Weak she falls back into the darkness, as their words seep into her mind, keeping her from peace. “You are at our mercy now; see how you like it.” “You are filth.” “I will enjoy seeing your despair; that I endured!” “May demons take you to the coldest part of Nifl.”
~*~
Xiko and his men hear movement in the darkening forest, his group stands ready. As the sound of twigs breaking and brush moving gets wider and louder, Xiko realizes, warning, “It is our men.” Wink’s group comes out of the woods; all relax a little. Xiko asks Wink, “Did you find Krist?” They shake their heads; all groan with disappointment. Wink replies, “No; we did see wolf tracks.”
He reluctantly admits, “The tracks led us to an area where it went in circles, then we lost any tracks going away from it. So, we continued to head this way, hoping you had luck.” Wirf points, “Krist’s Wolf tracks led us to this circle too.” Wink moans, “Krist must have slipped away between our two groups.” Wirf scowls, “Or he is hiding.” Cringing, Wink agrees, “We never saw him.
Wink asks, “Did you catch sight of him?” Xiko nods, “Briefly, he is a brown wolf. Grigori marked a B on his left cheek. His trail turned, and he came up behind us; the Wolf bit Trek. Trek said Krist’s eyes have black oozing from them.” Wink groans, “Krist is not just a Wolf then, he is a Warg!” Nodding, Xiko says, “Help us look for any tracks that are leaving away from this circle.”
~*~
A female’s voice shouts, “I hope you freeze in Nifl’s ice!” Lola wakes to their threats. Her next sense is of the harshness of what she is lying on. As she tries to move, once again Lola finds she cannot. This time she has the knowledge that she should be able to and things are not right. “I do not want her here, with us.” “Vile Demon.” “Go sleep in a pig sty.” “You and Kolo should die painfully.” Flashes of thought tell Lola, that Kolo is her twin.
Her clearest memory is of the pain of Donatello’s sword, and that Kolo did not try to help her. Lola is certain her brother will try to make it right, she groans, “Kolo?” Lola realizes Kolo is not his birth name, yet she is unable to recall Kolo’s true name. The flash of a memory comes; her twin is tied to a breaking wheel, in a dark cellar. Lola was a new Shade unable to help him, as their mother hisses, “This is for failing to save your twin.” She whips him.
Their Mother wails with tear-filled anguish, “I rename you Kolo Skotadi! You as good as killed my Lola, letting those demon children murder her! What a horrid way to die; down in a dark hole, drowning to death! All you had to do is keep her above water, long enough for me to find her.” She screams at her son, “Instead, you fell asleep, let Lola struggle, and die. I curse you to be ‘Damned to Darkness’!” Her brother is near passing out, from the abuse.
Their demented Mother offers, “Your only redemption will be if you transform me. So, work on becoming what you are, a vile Vampire, and die for me!” Lola fades away in sorrow.
~*~
The Shepard boy runs to warn the Lake Bled Rambler camp; Erik comes up behind Trek as he dives on a lamb. Erik whacks him over the head, with the cane. When he does not move, Erik hopes he is just out. Between huffs Dietrich asks, “Did you kill him?” Wheezing Erik looks at his own arm, for growing hair. Dietrich groans, “Nifl, I did not think about the wolf curse!” Erik cautiously puts a hand on Trek’s chest, sighing with relief, “Nope, not yet.”
Erik chokes, “I recalled it; yet had to do it. Still, if I killed Trek, it would be a poor reason for getting the Ramblers’ Blood Curse!” Nodding, Dietrich gasps, “Dark, my lungs are burning. How the Nifl was he running that fast?” Erik coughs, “I have no idea.” Dietrich scoffs, “He could not catch us when we were hunting the Warg, or walk himself back! And now he is out-running both of us? How?” Erik takes off his belt, binding Trek’s arms down to his sides.
Dietrich places the cane against a tree as he asks, “Did he get the lamb?” Erik shrugs, “I doubt it, or we would see blood on them both.” Having their breath back, Dietrich grabs Trek’s shoulders, and Erik takes his feet. They carefully carry the unconscious Trek, into camp laying him down on the bed, in the jail cell.
~*~
Screaming, Lola’s mother vows to her son, “You are just a worthless man. Even my husband left us because of this, abandoning me just like they all have. He said he could not take the sorrow of losing Lola. I will never forgive you.” Hearing Kolo Skotadi was Latin for Damned to Darkness; caused her twin brother to prefer it, even using other versions he came up with, for his different forms.
Kolo claimed that his birth name was too boring. His usual comment was ‘this name inspires fear’. Lola attempts to go to him, slowly she starts to rise passing through the dirt surroundings, and it seems to work as she moves a few feet upward. Suddenly, she slows, and then stops. It is more confining because of the solidness around her. It is a horrid sensation, stuck there, she cries out in panic.
~*~
Holy Innocents Graveyard, after 1 AM, 677, 29th, October
It has been over two decades since Kolo stood at Lola’s grave. The Holy Innocence Graveyard is much larger than when he was last there, as he realizes he no longer knows exactly where Lola’s grave is. Rushing with the use of two canes, he goes further in away from the newer graves until he gets to the older moss-covered headstones. Desperately, he tries to remember any of the statuary. He comes in sight of two larger than life angel statues.
They are familiar to him; Kolo yells, “This way, hurry!” He is limping, yet his men trail behind him. Getting more certain as he is near it, he looks for his men, and Kolo mocks, “You could at least keep up with me! I believe we are getting closer.” They lose sight of him again, as Kolo goes behind several Mausoleums. Tad looks around the dark shadows, and groans, “I hate graveyards.” Luke replies, “The foul fog is creepy and blocking the moon’s light.”
Richard says, “That Blood Moon, is not giving us as much light even though full. Tad calls to Kolo, “Is she in a crypt?” Their master’s voice is faint and distant, as Kolo sneers, “Why would I ask you to bring shovels, if she was above ground? You idiot!” Tad says, “I did not think of that.” Slowing, Kolo yells to his men, “Here. I am nearly certain, she is somewhere in this area.”
They arrive raising their lanterns to see the grave, Kolo’s small dark image startles Tad. The smallest man, Tad lets out a scream, that startles the others. Grinning, Kolo hisses, “Do not just stand there gawking at me; check the headstones!” However, Kolo greatly enjoys that his image has caused this much fear. Still shaking, Tad turns and the shadow on a tall statue makes him gasp aloud. Kolo watches as they shine their lanterns on the headstones.
They call out their names, and Kolo is tired and discouraged. He turns to find somewhere to sit and sees it. The Evil One smirks, “Never mind fools, I have found her! I recall these Cherubs, that are on her headstone! Lola’s grave is here, come quick and dig it up.” They slowly near and Kolo demands, “Well, start digging! Hurry, she is trapped in there.” He almost laughs as he was nearly standing on it. Kolo calls to her, “Lola! Are you here?” It is silent.
~WBM~