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 to you!” 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.”

  The Evil One leaves, “I might allow some to barter for their life. Or kill you all again. What a fun reward for your betrayals. While gone, I will decide how, it maybe the most painful way yet.” 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 eight hours earlier, as the Lake Bled Clan’s Warg event continues, it shows her 6 pm, on the 28th. Xiko and his men have followed Krist’s Wolf tracks for two hours, As it nears sunset, Xiko feels they are gaining on him. Xiko then 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.

  Xiko calls out to his clansmen, “Halt. Kristopher has gone over his own tracks; 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 his wife’s gloomy appearance and her failure to even glance his way, it causes him to frown; Vanna’s gaze remains fixed on the floor at her feet.

  Bailey is annoyed that she is unaware of his win. King Haldir imprudently scoffs, “The Vampires stay! I brought them here, and they only leave when I say so.” Anthony’s jaw tightens, and his squads’ grumble. They are displeased with Haldir’s arrogance, he is unaware that all of the vampires present are at least a century older than his mere forty years. It is wearing on Anthony’s patience; however, recalling Obsidian’s warning helps him to endure it.

  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 the Guards’ actions; he commands, “You will not, imprison Prince Alrod, yet. If no agreement is reached, we will hold a trial. That is why we are here, to make certain, all rulings are just.”

  ~*~

  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, “Dark, 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

  The dark murky blue mist sent by Nepathi’s spell seeps lower into the ground, going 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.

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  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, which I endured!” “May demons take you to the coldest part of Nifl.”

  ~*~

  An hour later, 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, Xiko realizes warning all, “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 feel disappointed. 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, leaving Lola to 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 Shepherd 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. Huffing, 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 the curse yet had to risk it. 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. Your step-father left us because of this, abandoning me just like all males have. He said losing Lola, and being near us brings him too much sorrow. I will never forgive you.” Hearing Kolo Skotadi was Latin for Damned to Darkness had her twin preferring it, he even used other versions of it 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

  Kolo groans, “Oh no, I do not recall all these crosses and crypts! It was decades ago, when I stood at Lola’s grave. It is so dark, and the low fog makes it hard for me to even see the headstone let alone a name.” Tad says, “Come back in the daylight.” Kolo scoffs, “I cannot be in the sun, idiot. Oh, this grave is new, we need to go further in.” Kolo rushes off, with the use of two canes, leaving his men shuddering, at the Holy Innocence Graveyard’s entrance.

  The Evil One slows once he sees older moss-covered statues, not recalling any yet. Tad looks around the dark shadows, as they walk in, groaning, “I hate graveyards.” Kolo comes in sight of two larger than life angel statues, that are familiar; he yells, “This way, hurry!” Luke says, “I cannot see him, the foul fog is creepy and clouds are blocking the moon’s light.” Kolo is limping, yet the frightened men trail behind him. He is more certain that he is near it.

  Kolo mocks, “You could at least keep up with me!” Richard whispers, “That Blood Moon is only giving us an eerie glow, it makes it worse.” Kolo calls, “I believe I am closer to it.” They lose sight of him again, as Kolo goes behind several Crypts. Tad asks Kolo, “Is she in a crypt?” Their master’s voice is distant, as Kolo sneers, “You must have rocks for brains! Why would I ask you to bring shovels, if she was above ground? Hurry we must be near it.”

  Tad admits, “Oh, I did not think of that.” Slowing, Kolo yells to his men, “Here. I am certain she is in this area.” Arriving, they raise their lanterns to find the grave, Kolo’s small dark image terrifies Tad into letting out a shrill scream that startles the others. Kolo grins, enjoying that he has caused this much fear; then hisses, “Do not just stand there gawking! Check the headstones!” Shaking, Tad turns, the shadow caused by a statue makes him wail loudly. Kolo watches as they shine their lanterns on the headstones.

  They call out their names; Kolo mocks, “Unless it says Lola it is not her grave!” The Evil One is tired and discouraged. He turns to find somewhere to sit and sees it. Kolo smirks, “Never mind fools! I have found her myself! I recall these Cherubs that are on her headstone! Hurry, come quick and dig it up. Lola’s grave is right here.” They slowly near and Kolo demands, “Well, start digging right now!” The Evil One almost laughs as he was nearly standing on it; he yells, “Hurry, she is trapped in there.” Kolo calls to her, “Lola, I am here! I hurried to come save you. Are you here? You are safe now! I found you. Answer me! Lola?” It is silent as the grave.

  ~WBM~