Vampire Hunter D Fan Fiction ❯ Vampire Hunter Ramika ❯ Rings and Riddles ( Chapter 7 )
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: Ssinurn Solen 
Dracula was nothing if not clever!
Anime/Manga: Vampire Hunter D Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 01.23.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.7K | Visits: 301 | Status: Completed
Dracula was nothing if not clever!
Anime/Manga: Vampire Hunter D Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 01.23.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.7K | Visits: 301 | Status: Completed
Chapter 7: Rings and Riddles
Ramika slept peacefully while Rodgen stood guard at the cave entrance.
Sabattian was half asleep himself, snuggled close by Ramika's side. His mind filled with dread of the thought of loosing her, not just because of his feelings, but without her, the tragedy Radji spoke of could come to pass.
"That's right Spenser. There is a prophecy that signals the rise of the vampires again, with a dark queen as its head."
"How is it that you know all of these prophecies, and the rest of us do not?"
"Simple. After my father was killed, I tried to find a place to hide where she would not catch me. I stumbled upon a room deep below the castle that had been long forgotten. At first, I believed it to be one of the many oubliettes that my grandfather so favored. It was, and it was not. The room was coated with a thick layer of dust and cobwebs. The bones of a man sat at a desk, a quill still in his fingers. I found several candles that were still useable. I lit one, closed the door and barred the entrance, although I knew it was unlikely that anyone would go as deep as the room was to find me. Stepmother had what she wished, and she thought I was too far below her to be bothered with."
"She is one ruthless bitch. And, powerful enough to imprison my father. That in itself is impressive."
"She is not nearly as powerful as she claims. It is the reason she travels. She finds places of power then uses her ability to channel the energy from the place, to bend it to her whim. Once the power is used up, she moves on, so others do not discover her weakness. Anyway, I lit more candles and cleaned up the small room the best I could. There was a ladder that led up to the old, long abandoned, outdoor kitchen. The person whose bones at the desk was there for privacy, not punishment. I discovered the remains of the man had been there since the reign of my grandfather. The man was some sort of prophet, and he stayed in that room so he write his predictions without interruption. One of the prophecies included the creation of Dracula as a vampire. Saying something about how my uncle cursed God within the treasure chamber of the wise king."
"That makes no sense."
"Well, most of the journals and writings still in tact were made up of verse and riddles. The prophecies spoke of the rise of the vampires as the nobles. The downfall of the vampires, partially due to intervention by the high king himself, the treachery of a dark queen and the revenge of the children. The page the prophet was writing when his body died spoke of the swords and the wise king's treasure chamber. it said:"
"Three beauties of mortality, before they take eternity
Shall issue the tools of destruction.
Three queens, forging the path to the redeemed
Shall give their blessings of progression
Six swords, slashing lords of evil
Shall herald the end of discussion
But, if issue and steel, are yielded
to the wise one's treasure, then evil shall rise."
"The rest of the poem was splotched and blurred. He died before he could finish it. All of the rest of the verse in his room were four stanzas long. The swords are the ones we hold , and D's. I know that Dracula had three queens that he allowed to remain as mortals, because they wished it. D is one of the children of one of those wives. Who the other two are, I don't know."
"Then Anastasia must be the dark queen, but how will her true name help us any?"
"Because, part of a vampire's power lies in the true name. Dracula rarely his true name, although most knew it. He was powerful enough to block those trying to use it against him. In the end, it was not his true name, but his amorous nature that lead to his downfall."
"Father once told me that grandfather had a way with the ladies."
Rodgen stepped inside the cave. "Whose turn for next watch. I am exhausted."
"Ill take it. " Spenser replied. "I doubt you could drag the sot from Ramika's side tonight."
**********
Daniel and Lord Sinclair's other band mates wanted to cry from the pain of their bleeding fingers. Anastasia, as punishment, was making them play music until they dropped from exhaustion and hunger. She whirled around in a seductive dance that was not unlike you would see from a belly dancer. The crowd of vampires in the room clapped and laughed as they joined in her merriment.
Some of the vampires, learning of Hunter Sinclair's imprisonment and of the possibility of vampire killers being in the woods quickly left while Anastasia was otherwise occupied in her revelry.
Anastasia did not seem to notice or care. "My triumph is soon at hand my friends. Once my guards have the chit and her sword, there will be little in the way of stopping me from gaining the others."
The tap girls huddled around the stage in fear. Three had already been drained at the feet of the revelers, and Anastasia was not letting any of them go to rest and refurbish. They felt their deaths at hand and wondered if being a servant under Anastasia's terms was such a good idea.
"When do your guards return?" One of the vampires asked, "They are late returning to you."
"None will return, but their sacrifice was not in vain. I have discovered that not only the chit, but the other sword bearers are in the sleeping forest. With them all together, gathering the swords for the final spell should be an easy task."
"Easy, or a death sentence?" One of the female vampire squealed out, "If all of the sword bearers are vampire killers."
"Not to worry, none of them can touch you, or me here. They would not dare. As long as I am in control of this power font, they can do nothing to harm any of us."
"What about the one who snuck in here right under your nose?" A male vampire spat out. "You should have been able to sense her treachery as soon as you made eye contact with her. Why is it that such a simple thing is beyond you?"
"If you have nothing to do but question my abilities, you can go to your room. She had something I wanted, and I planned on getting it from her by something easier than brute force. If it were not for Lord Hunter's interference in insisting on getting ahead of himself, I would yet have the treasure."
The answer seemed to satisfy most of the vampires and dhamphiles in the room.
The band had stopped their music during the heated conversation, thankful for the slight reprieve. Daniel sucked on his bleeding fingers and looked around the room with the hope of finding a chance to sneak out, perhaps behind one of the servants or tap girls.
"I did not give you leave to stop playing! " Anastasia shouted, "Play my favorite song!"
"We can't, Your Majesty," one of the band members said softly, "Lord Sinclair was the only one who had the skill with the violin."
"Improvise then. I want to hear my song played as best you can. You will keep playing it until I am satisfied with the results." Anastasia giggled madly as the music started and she began dancing her dervish again.
"She's insane" One of the dhamphiles whispered in the ear of another, "We should leave at first light."
**********
A pleasant smell reached Ramika's nose as she slowly woke. It smelled somewhat of jasmine, but not as flowery, more... male.
Her eyes flew open to see Rodgen's back to her. He was snoring, but the scent was not coming from her brother, but from the male body that was spooned behind her as she lay on her side. A strong arm was around her waist and warm breath blew over her hair.
At first, Ramika tried to wiggle away, only to find the arm around her tighten and pull her closer to whomever was behind her. She thought one of the three with Rodgen had chosen to take liberties until she looked down to see the paleness of the hand holding her waist fast. She reached above her with her free arm and found a tendril of hair that she was able to pull forward into her sight. Long blonde hair slipped through her fingers.
She growled at the inconvenience, and gall of the man holding her. “Let me go, Spenser, you oaf!” She spouted out.
“I’m not doing anything.” Spenser said from the opening of the cave. “That is Sabattian.”
“Sabattian? Sabattian! Get off of me, I need to get up!”
Sabattian groaned, and loosened his grip slightly, but only loose enough to allow Ramika to roll over on her back.
She looked up to see that Sabattian was not asleep, and had an amused look on his face. “Good evening.”
Ramika shouted at the roof of the cave, “You liar, Sabattian, you let your lewd brother sleep next to me.”
“I did not. He warned me if I lay a hand on you he would chop it off. That is Sabattian next to you.”
Ramika blinked and looked into Sabattian’s eyes, the only feature that made it easy to tell the two brothers apart. Deep blue, not gray, eyes met hers.
Before she could utter a protest, Sabattian lay a gentle, chaste, kiss upon her lips. “I am afraid my brother is correct. I simply did not want you to get too cold. This cave is damp.”
“Like hell.” She pushed him away. “And I thought your brother was a libertine!” She rose from her bed, but stay seated due to some wooziness.
“Here,” Sabattian rose and went neat the small fire where some meat wrapped in oilcloth lay. “You need to eat something.” the sly smile disappeared and was replaced with the same blank expression Sabattian nearly always wore.
Ramika felt slightly sad at forcing Sabattian to loose that playful smile. “I’m sorry. You would have done much more if you were your brother.”
“I am a man, Ramika. I think like one, despite my training in proper etiquette. It is me that should beg forgiveness.” He handed her a plate of raw meat.
“Accepted.” Ramika said sadly as she took the plate and began eating the food. She was hungrier than she thought and finished the plate of meat quickly.
“I will get you some more. Rodgen warned us that you might be very hungry, that is why he sent the boys out hunting again as soon as they got a little rest. He has been using healing spells on you, and the effort to keep you well has tired him greatly.” Sabattian took the plate so he could refill it.
Ramika looked across the room to see the red-haired man huddled slightly in the corner watching her, Sabattian and Spenser. “Who is that?”
The man with red hair heard her voice easily, stood and made a bow before Sabattian could answer. “Radji Raduaster, Milady.”
“Our father’s cousin. He also has a draconian sword, but he is far from trustworthy.”
Radji made a face and waved his hand in dismissal at Sabattian, “I am as trustworthy as any dhamphile alive.” He said in his heavily accented voice. “Sabattian said that you have a child’s ring. I would like to look at it, if I may. “
“You may not!” Sabattian spouted out.
Radji made another dismissing wave at Sabattian, “I promise to keep the ring in plain sight. It is best if you stay close to see what I do with it anyway. That includes you Sabattian. I would ask Rodgen and Spenser, but Spenser is busy and Rodgen needs his rest.”
Ramika cocked her head slightly before reaching for the ring on the chain around her neck. She slid it off as Radji produced the ruby encrusted band from his boot.
Ramika gasped as she felt the power emanate from the other ring. “The other half of the King’s signet.”
“Oh, yes, and more.” he took the child’s ring from Ramika as soon as she had taken it off of the chain and handed it to him. “The True Vampire King was nothing if not clever.” He held the ruby ring up vertically with the largest cluster of rubies on top. He took the child’s ring and positioned it horizontally on top, wiggling it slightly until it fit into a pair of grooves on the ruby ring. “Ah, now watch. “ Radji rotated the child’s ring, causing the ruby setting to fan out and fill the inside as the child’s ring was twisted.
“Oh my god!” Sabattian said as he sat there stunned as the setting of rubies formed the shape of a dragon signet. In Radji’s hands was the true signet of the King of the Vampires.
“This is the secret that not even my father knew of.” Radji handed the ring to Ramika. “Only a scant few knew the ring he always wore was not the true signet. I accidentally learned of it from Dracula himself, shortly after D left the royal court, although he did not know I overheard him. I made a vow to myself on my life and honor to keep the secret. After all, Dracula was kind to me. My father was never kind.”
"It explains his choice in women." Sabattian snapped.
"Radu preferred women of a more exotic flavor. It is why he had a harem of Turkish concubines. If it had not been that his bride was already a vampire, I might have been killed. He was jealous of Dracula, among others, having children, so he decided to have one of his own. My stepmother persuaded him that one was enough. Every dhamphile of Radu born after me was killed at birth." He looked up at Sabattian's frown and sighed. "Here, Ramika, you take the ring, since my cousin does not trust me with it." Radji gave a flirtatious smile as he gingerly handed over the dragon crest. "In some ways, I am glad I am only a dhamphile." Radji added," It means that my true name doesn't work, right Sabattian?"
Sabattian let out a growl. "Spenser, I will take watch. You need something to eat." He strode over to the door of the cave.
Spenser's laugh rang through the cave, causing Rodgen to turn on his back. Rodgen was still asleep, but his snoring became louder.
"What you said in the riddle makes a lot of sense, although we may be too late for the three mentioned in the poem."
"What do you mean, Ramika." Spenser asked as he grabbed a hunk of raw meat and shoved it in his mouth. the blood dribbled down his chin and on his shirt.
"Sabattian is right, you have no manners at all." Radji huffed.
"I just don't see the point. No matter how nice you act, you are what you are and both the vamps and the humans hate you for it. So, I gave up."
Ramika shook her head, "Just use a rag to wipe it off, and not your sleeve."
Spenser grinned with his bloody face as he turned and grabbed a rag from beside the makeshift table to clan away the blood and meat from his face. "Anyway, you were saying?"
"We all know D was the oldest of King Dracula's children, but he had two more, by his other two brides. I discovered that the other two children are Hunter Sinclair, and a girl named Anamika. She has all three of them trapped."
Radji blinked, "This is worse than I thought. Damn, I wish the prophet had lived long enough to finish that last poem. I know that we could figure out a solution to this if he did." He ran his fingers through his hair and unwrapped the turban cloth from around his neck. He nervously tried to put up his hair, but gave up after a few minutes. He wrapped the turban on his head while leaving his hair to lay on his shoulder.
"I wish Rodgen were awake. I wonder if he knows exactly what the lodge is built atop of. It may make the difference."
"And what is that?" Radji sighed deep in thought.
"A treasure chamber, magic, but no ordinary magic."
"Let me guess, ancient?"
"Spenser, your joke has a ring of truth. Ancient symbols, that date back to biblical times."
Radji's head shot up in surprise. "I thought that place had been destroyed!" Radji looked Ramika deep in the eye and saw her seriousness. He shook his head and took deep breaths to calm his already frayed nerves. "The King himself forbid the knowledge of where exactly it was to be known. I did not even know its location. There was once a small castle on the spot , but natural disasters, forced him to abandon it. He later had the castle and the chamber destroyed once he found the symbols behind the Christian tapestries."
"The castle, perhaps, because there is no trace of it left. The chamber must have sank and someone must have dug it out. The tunnels down to the chamber are newer tunnels. The only old masonry is in the chamber itself."
"Jeez, I hate bad news." Spenser said as he sat back and tried to contemplate the enormity as Ramika explained, in detail, her visit to the lodge.
**********
Matt inched slowly away from Mark and Luke as they hunted for meat for the boss and his guests. He sweated with fear for what he was about to do, but he could see no other way of warning Lord Sinclair of Ramika's plot to kill him.
He was sure Ramika and the others would kill him if they got into the lodge. Months before, Matt found an entrance to the lodge that had not been used due to some minor cave ins. It was still a squeeze, but the tiny tunnel lead directly into one of the store rooms next to the guest chambers. He had planned it as a surprise for the boss, but he changed his mind upon seeing Hunter Sinclair enter the lodge.
Once inside, Matt ducked into another of the side rooms and had to hold his mouth to keep from screaming. There were several rows of shelves. Each shelf held a decapitated head in various states of decay from skin covered skull to freshly cut.
A whimper escaped from under one of the corner shelves. Matt raised his dagger and inched his way towards the sound. A very thin, bloodied girl looked up at him. Her eyes were swollen from tears. She sniffled and cried a little louder when she saw Matt stand over her.
"Quiet. If you aren't I really will kill you."
"Your not one of those sent to find me?"
"No, now tell me, what is this place?" Matt snapped as he lowered his weapon.
"The Queen's private trophy room. She keeps the heads of some of her victims. I thought no one would find me in here."
"And who are you?"
"Mary, nobody really, just a tap girl." She showed the tubes on her wrists that lead to her veins. "When the Queen killed so many of us yesterday, I hoped she would not care that I was missing. She supposedly had a ward on this room, since the other door leads to her bedchamber, but somehow I got back in. I knew it would buy me a little time to recover. Wait, how did you get in here?"
"If there was a ward, it's not there anymore 'cause I simply ducked in here to get out of the hallway."
"She must have forgotten to put it back up. Then, you are not from the lodge? You know a way out of here, other than the front?"
"That I do, but I have to find someone first."
"If you promise to get me out of here, I will help you find who you are looking for."
"I'll do that if you are well enough to keep up."
**********
Ramika carefully took apart the king's signet and put the two rings on the chain to wear around her neck.
Rodgen slowly stirred and his snoring quieted. He sat up and wiped his brow. The short brown curls pasted themselves to his face, making him look almost cherubic. He stood slowly and ambled dizzily towards the table with the meat. He took out a knife and cut off small pieces. He chewed each piece slowly before swallowing.
Spenser and Radji chatted away, as Sabattian guarded the door.
"Boss!" Mark yelled as he pushed past Sabattian. Luke was closely on his heels, carrying a number of dead opossums.
"What is the matter? And, where is Matt?" Rodgen said wearily as he continued to eat.
"He's missing, boss." Luke replied, "I am afraid he has done something really stupid."
Ramika stood and dusted herself off. "What do you mean by stupid?"
Luke turned to Ramika after depositing the dead animals on the table away from the rest of the meat. "He kept insisting that game would be better further into the forest, but I knew that meant getting too close to the lodge. I tried to talk him out of it, but he would not listen."
"Oh hell." Rodgen sighed out, "Do you think he went to warn Lord Sinclair?"
"If he did he is probably dead," Ramika said flatly. "Hunter Sinclair is a prisoner, not a guest." She went on to explain to Luke and Mark what had happened to her during her time in the lodge.
"Oh hell is right, Boss." Mark said with a whistle.
"This means we have to make plans more quickly." Radji said as he cut a piece of the remaining skinned meat to eat. "Anastasia has the power to coerce weak minds. If he is caught, the false queen will know exactly where we are, and what we plan to do."
"Damn!" Spenser said, "Rodgen, Ramika, how soon will the two of you be ready to perform the calling of the king's sword?"
"It will take me at least another night of rest and preparation for the spell." Rodgen replied. "Unless I have help gathering what I need to make a secure circle, one that will not allow interruption by those outside the circle."
"A warding circle." Radji nodded, "A very good idea. One wrong move in the spell of the swords could be disastrous."
"You know enough about magic, Radji to help me find what I need. If you work with me, I can get the components in half the time."
"If the sour one lets me outside. He will not let me leave his sight."
"If I go with you , he won't grumble so much." Spenser replied.
Sabattian leans against the inner wall, concentrating on the dreary weather. If it were not that he knew the fog was part of the spell on the Sleeping Forest, he might have swore it was going to rain. the thought of rain made him smile inwardly. He loved the cool feel of rain on his face.
"Sabattian? ... Are you listening?" Ramika slowly puts her hand on his shoulder.
Sabattian jumps, partially because of his musing, and partially because of the power of the king's signet on the chain beneath Ramika's shirt.
"Is there something you need?" He snapped. He took a deep breath after he realized who he snapped at. "I'm sorry. "
"We are all nervous. Sabattian, you must let Radji help Rodgen gather what he needs for the barrier spell."
"I don't trust Radji. He needs to be watched."
"We do not have time to quibble about your misgivings. He gave me the true signet. It was enough to convince me of his intentions. Right now, we need his help. You can save your hate for later."
"I will go with him if he leaves this cave."
"No, Spenser will go with him. Spenser will not get in the way or accidentally step on the herbs needed for the spell."
"Are you questioning my competence?"
"No, your extremes in your mistrust. Did you hear what has happened?"
"Matt is lost."
"Did you hear the rest, about Anastasia possibly knowing this place?"
Sabattian sighed. "No. You are right my concentration was elsewhere."
"Sabattian," Rodgen yelled from inside. "We are going to go to another of our hiding places. I need you and Ramika to look after Mark and Luke, and the other way around. That way, if the exhaustion of any one of the four of you , the others can get help."
**********
Matt stared blankly at Hunter Sinclair as he slept in the glass coffin. He looked over at D and at Anamika. "Are you sure of what you told me, Mary?" He whispered into her ear.
"Yes, now let's leave. If we are caught down here, our heads will be on the shelves. It is not safe."
"I did not know he was a son of Dracula as well."
"Enough, Matt, come on. We need to take the side, servants tunnels. Luckily, the tunnels in the menagerie are being cleaned or else I would not have been able to lead you here. Now please, let's get out of here before Her Majesty catches us."
Matt nodded and followed Mary through the shadows to the tight entrance reserved for the cleaning crew. One or two heads raised from their mops and brooms but none said a word as Mary and Matt passed by. None of them took special notice and Mary doubted any of them would tell what they saw. The taskmaster was nowhere in sight, which was good.
The cleaning crew were the worst treated of Anastasia's slaves. All wore slave collars. They lived in a communal room with no water and no way to get out of the room to relieve themselves until the taskmaster came to open the locked door. Meals were few and far between. Anastasia only put those in her employ under these harsh constraints when they angered her to the point where she thought death was too good.
The sound of guests in the hall made the two pause.
"There is an empty room, we can use the slave entrance and sneak to your escape hole from there."
Mary lead Matt into what she, and the other slaves believed was an empty room.
"Finally, the old bitch as sent someone to me." Came a raspy voice from the bed. "Tap girl, come feed me and I promise I won't take too much. Boy, you must be the new valet she promised months ago before she tied me to this bed. You can start by getting my clothes out of the wardrobe and brushing them down with the clothing brush on the dresser."
Matt started to say something, but Mary quickly shushed him. "Play along. It is the only chance we have.
**********
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Ramika slept peacefully while Rodgen stood guard at the cave entrance.
Sabattian was half asleep himself, snuggled close by Ramika's side. His mind filled with dread of the thought of loosing her, not just because of his feelings, but without her, the tragedy Radji spoke of could come to pass.
"That's right Spenser. There is a prophecy that signals the rise of the vampires again, with a dark queen as its head."
"How is it that you know all of these prophecies, and the rest of us do not?"
"Simple. After my father was killed, I tried to find a place to hide where she would not catch me. I stumbled upon a room deep below the castle that had been long forgotten. At first, I believed it to be one of the many oubliettes that my grandfather so favored. It was, and it was not. The room was coated with a thick layer of dust and cobwebs. The bones of a man sat at a desk, a quill still in his fingers. I found several candles that were still useable. I lit one, closed the door and barred the entrance, although I knew it was unlikely that anyone would go as deep as the room was to find me. Stepmother had what she wished, and she thought I was too far below her to be bothered with."
"She is one ruthless bitch. And, powerful enough to imprison my father. That in itself is impressive."
"She is not nearly as powerful as she claims. It is the reason she travels. She finds places of power then uses her ability to channel the energy from the place, to bend it to her whim. Once the power is used up, she moves on, so others do not discover her weakness. Anyway, I lit more candles and cleaned up the small room the best I could. There was a ladder that led up to the old, long abandoned, outdoor kitchen. The person whose bones at the desk was there for privacy, not punishment. I discovered the remains of the man had been there since the reign of my grandfather. The man was some sort of prophet, and he stayed in that room so he write his predictions without interruption. One of the prophecies included the creation of Dracula as a vampire. Saying something about how my uncle cursed God within the treasure chamber of the wise king."
"That makes no sense."
"Well, most of the journals and writings still in tact were made up of verse and riddles. The prophecies spoke of the rise of the vampires as the nobles. The downfall of the vampires, partially due to intervention by the high king himself, the treachery of a dark queen and the revenge of the children. The page the prophet was writing when his body died spoke of the swords and the wise king's treasure chamber. it said:"
"Three beauties of mortality, before they take eternity
Shall issue the tools of destruction.
Three queens, forging the path to the redeemed
Shall give their blessings of progression
Six swords, slashing lords of evil
Shall herald the end of discussion
But, if issue and steel, are yielded
to the wise one's treasure, then evil shall rise."
"The rest of the poem was splotched and blurred. He died before he could finish it. All of the rest of the verse in his room were four stanzas long. The swords are the ones we hold , and D's. I know that Dracula had three queens that he allowed to remain as mortals, because they wished it. D is one of the children of one of those wives. Who the other two are, I don't know."
"Then Anastasia must be the dark queen, but how will her true name help us any?"
"Because, part of a vampire's power lies in the true name. Dracula rarely his true name, although most knew it. He was powerful enough to block those trying to use it against him. In the end, it was not his true name, but his amorous nature that lead to his downfall."
"Father once told me that grandfather had a way with the ladies."
Rodgen stepped inside the cave. "Whose turn for next watch. I am exhausted."
"Ill take it. " Spenser replied. "I doubt you could drag the sot from Ramika's side tonight."
**********
Daniel and Lord Sinclair's other band mates wanted to cry from the pain of their bleeding fingers. Anastasia, as punishment, was making them play music until they dropped from exhaustion and hunger. She whirled around in a seductive dance that was not unlike you would see from a belly dancer. The crowd of vampires in the room clapped and laughed as they joined in her merriment.
Some of the vampires, learning of Hunter Sinclair's imprisonment and of the possibility of vampire killers being in the woods quickly left while Anastasia was otherwise occupied in her revelry.
Anastasia did not seem to notice or care. "My triumph is soon at hand my friends. Once my guards have the chit and her sword, there will be little in the way of stopping me from gaining the others."
The tap girls huddled around the stage in fear. Three had already been drained at the feet of the revelers, and Anastasia was not letting any of them go to rest and refurbish. They felt their deaths at hand and wondered if being a servant under Anastasia's terms was such a good idea.
"When do your guards return?" One of the vampires asked, "They are late returning to you."
"None will return, but their sacrifice was not in vain. I have discovered that not only the chit, but the other sword bearers are in the sleeping forest. With them all together, gathering the swords for the final spell should be an easy task."
"Easy, or a death sentence?" One of the female vampire squealed out, "If all of the sword bearers are vampire killers."
"Not to worry, none of them can touch you, or me here. They would not dare. As long as I am in control of this power font, they can do nothing to harm any of us."
"What about the one who snuck in here right under your nose?" A male vampire spat out. "You should have been able to sense her treachery as soon as you made eye contact with her. Why is it that such a simple thing is beyond you?"
"If you have nothing to do but question my abilities, you can go to your room. She had something I wanted, and I planned on getting it from her by something easier than brute force. If it were not for Lord Hunter's interference in insisting on getting ahead of himself, I would yet have the treasure."
The answer seemed to satisfy most of the vampires and dhamphiles in the room.
The band had stopped their music during the heated conversation, thankful for the slight reprieve. Daniel sucked on his bleeding fingers and looked around the room with the hope of finding a chance to sneak out, perhaps behind one of the servants or tap girls.
"I did not give you leave to stop playing! " Anastasia shouted, "Play my favorite song!"
"We can't, Your Majesty," one of the band members said softly, "Lord Sinclair was the only one who had the skill with the violin."
"Improvise then. I want to hear my song played as best you can. You will keep playing it until I am satisfied with the results." Anastasia giggled madly as the music started and she began dancing her dervish again.
"She's insane" One of the dhamphiles whispered in the ear of another, "We should leave at first light."
**********
A pleasant smell reached Ramika's nose as she slowly woke. It smelled somewhat of jasmine, but not as flowery, more... male.
Her eyes flew open to see Rodgen's back to her. He was snoring, but the scent was not coming from her brother, but from the male body that was spooned behind her as she lay on her side. A strong arm was around her waist and warm breath blew over her hair.
At first, Ramika tried to wiggle away, only to find the arm around her tighten and pull her closer to whomever was behind her. She thought one of the three with Rodgen had chosen to take liberties until she looked down to see the paleness of the hand holding her waist fast. She reached above her with her free arm and found a tendril of hair that she was able to pull forward into her sight. Long blonde hair slipped through her fingers.
She growled at the inconvenience, and gall of the man holding her. “Let me go, Spenser, you oaf!” She spouted out.
“I’m not doing anything.” Spenser said from the opening of the cave. “That is Sabattian.”
“Sabattian? Sabattian! Get off of me, I need to get up!”
Sabattian groaned, and loosened his grip slightly, but only loose enough to allow Ramika to roll over on her back.
She looked up to see that Sabattian was not asleep, and had an amused look on his face. “Good evening.”
Ramika shouted at the roof of the cave, “You liar, Sabattian, you let your lewd brother sleep next to me.”
“I did not. He warned me if I lay a hand on you he would chop it off. That is Sabattian next to you.”
Ramika blinked and looked into Sabattian’s eyes, the only feature that made it easy to tell the two brothers apart. Deep blue, not gray, eyes met hers.
Before she could utter a protest, Sabattian lay a gentle, chaste, kiss upon her lips. “I am afraid my brother is correct. I simply did not want you to get too cold. This cave is damp.”
“Like hell.” She pushed him away. “And I thought your brother was a libertine!” She rose from her bed, but stay seated due to some wooziness.
“Here,” Sabattian rose and went neat the small fire where some meat wrapped in oilcloth lay. “You need to eat something.” the sly smile disappeared and was replaced with the same blank expression Sabattian nearly always wore.
Ramika felt slightly sad at forcing Sabattian to loose that playful smile. “I’m sorry. You would have done much more if you were your brother.”
“I am a man, Ramika. I think like one, despite my training in proper etiquette. It is me that should beg forgiveness.” He handed her a plate of raw meat.
“Accepted.” Ramika said sadly as she took the plate and began eating the food. She was hungrier than she thought and finished the plate of meat quickly.
“I will get you some more. Rodgen warned us that you might be very hungry, that is why he sent the boys out hunting again as soon as they got a little rest. He has been using healing spells on you, and the effort to keep you well has tired him greatly.” Sabattian took the plate so he could refill it.
Ramika looked across the room to see the red-haired man huddled slightly in the corner watching her, Sabattian and Spenser. “Who is that?”
The man with red hair heard her voice easily, stood and made a bow before Sabattian could answer. “Radji Raduaster, Milady.”
“Our father’s cousin. He also has a draconian sword, but he is far from trustworthy.”
Radji made a face and waved his hand in dismissal at Sabattian, “I am as trustworthy as any dhamphile alive.” He said in his heavily accented voice. “Sabattian said that you have a child’s ring. I would like to look at it, if I may. “
“You may not!” Sabattian spouted out.
Radji made another dismissing wave at Sabattian, “I promise to keep the ring in plain sight. It is best if you stay close to see what I do with it anyway. That includes you Sabattian. I would ask Rodgen and Spenser, but Spenser is busy and Rodgen needs his rest.”
Ramika cocked her head slightly before reaching for the ring on the chain around her neck. She slid it off as Radji produced the ruby encrusted band from his boot.
Ramika gasped as she felt the power emanate from the other ring. “The other half of the King’s signet.”
“Oh, yes, and more.” he took the child’s ring from Ramika as soon as she had taken it off of the chain and handed it to him. “The True Vampire King was nothing if not clever.” He held the ruby ring up vertically with the largest cluster of rubies on top. He took the child’s ring and positioned it horizontally on top, wiggling it slightly until it fit into a pair of grooves on the ruby ring. “Ah, now watch. “ Radji rotated the child’s ring, causing the ruby setting to fan out and fill the inside as the child’s ring was twisted.
“Oh my god!” Sabattian said as he sat there stunned as the setting of rubies formed the shape of a dragon signet. In Radji’s hands was the true signet of the King of the Vampires.
“This is the secret that not even my father knew of.” Radji handed the ring to Ramika. “Only a scant few knew the ring he always wore was not the true signet. I accidentally learned of it from Dracula himself, shortly after D left the royal court, although he did not know I overheard him. I made a vow to myself on my life and honor to keep the secret. After all, Dracula was kind to me. My father was never kind.”
"It explains his choice in women." Sabattian snapped.
"Radu preferred women of a more exotic flavor. It is why he had a harem of Turkish concubines. If it had not been that his bride was already a vampire, I might have been killed. He was jealous of Dracula, among others, having children, so he decided to have one of his own. My stepmother persuaded him that one was enough. Every dhamphile of Radu born after me was killed at birth." He looked up at Sabattian's frown and sighed. "Here, Ramika, you take the ring, since my cousin does not trust me with it." Radji gave a flirtatious smile as he gingerly handed over the dragon crest. "In some ways, I am glad I am only a dhamphile." Radji added," It means that my true name doesn't work, right Sabattian?"
Sabattian let out a growl. "Spenser, I will take watch. You need something to eat." He strode over to the door of the cave.
Spenser's laugh rang through the cave, causing Rodgen to turn on his back. Rodgen was still asleep, but his snoring became louder.
"What you said in the riddle makes a lot of sense, although we may be too late for the three mentioned in the poem."
"What do you mean, Ramika." Spenser asked as he grabbed a hunk of raw meat and shoved it in his mouth. the blood dribbled down his chin and on his shirt.
"Sabattian is right, you have no manners at all." Radji huffed.
"I just don't see the point. No matter how nice you act, you are what you are and both the vamps and the humans hate you for it. So, I gave up."
Ramika shook her head, "Just use a rag to wipe it off, and not your sleeve."
Spenser grinned with his bloody face as he turned and grabbed a rag from beside the makeshift table to clan away the blood and meat from his face. "Anyway, you were saying?"
"We all know D was the oldest of King Dracula's children, but he had two more, by his other two brides. I discovered that the other two children are Hunter Sinclair, and a girl named Anamika. She has all three of them trapped."
Radji blinked, "This is worse than I thought. Damn, I wish the prophet had lived long enough to finish that last poem. I know that we could figure out a solution to this if he did." He ran his fingers through his hair and unwrapped the turban cloth from around his neck. He nervously tried to put up his hair, but gave up after a few minutes. He wrapped the turban on his head while leaving his hair to lay on his shoulder.
"I wish Rodgen were awake. I wonder if he knows exactly what the lodge is built atop of. It may make the difference."
"And what is that?" Radji sighed deep in thought.
"A treasure chamber, magic, but no ordinary magic."
"Let me guess, ancient?"
"Spenser, your joke has a ring of truth. Ancient symbols, that date back to biblical times."
Radji's head shot up in surprise. "I thought that place had been destroyed!" Radji looked Ramika deep in the eye and saw her seriousness. He shook his head and took deep breaths to calm his already frayed nerves. "The King himself forbid the knowledge of where exactly it was to be known. I did not even know its location. There was once a small castle on the spot , but natural disasters, forced him to abandon it. He later had the castle and the chamber destroyed once he found the symbols behind the Christian tapestries."
"The castle, perhaps, because there is no trace of it left. The chamber must have sank and someone must have dug it out. The tunnels down to the chamber are newer tunnels. The only old masonry is in the chamber itself."
"Jeez, I hate bad news." Spenser said as he sat back and tried to contemplate the enormity as Ramika explained, in detail, her visit to the lodge.
**********
Matt inched slowly away from Mark and Luke as they hunted for meat for the boss and his guests. He sweated with fear for what he was about to do, but he could see no other way of warning Lord Sinclair of Ramika's plot to kill him.
He was sure Ramika and the others would kill him if they got into the lodge. Months before, Matt found an entrance to the lodge that had not been used due to some minor cave ins. It was still a squeeze, but the tiny tunnel lead directly into one of the store rooms next to the guest chambers. He had planned it as a surprise for the boss, but he changed his mind upon seeing Hunter Sinclair enter the lodge.
Once inside, Matt ducked into another of the side rooms and had to hold his mouth to keep from screaming. There were several rows of shelves. Each shelf held a decapitated head in various states of decay from skin covered skull to freshly cut.
A whimper escaped from under one of the corner shelves. Matt raised his dagger and inched his way towards the sound. A very thin, bloodied girl looked up at him. Her eyes were swollen from tears. She sniffled and cried a little louder when she saw Matt stand over her.
"Quiet. If you aren't I really will kill you."
"Your not one of those sent to find me?"
"No, now tell me, what is this place?" Matt snapped as he lowered his weapon.
"The Queen's private trophy room. She keeps the heads of some of her victims. I thought no one would find me in here."
"And who are you?"
"Mary, nobody really, just a tap girl." She showed the tubes on her wrists that lead to her veins. "When the Queen killed so many of us yesterday, I hoped she would not care that I was missing. She supposedly had a ward on this room, since the other door leads to her bedchamber, but somehow I got back in. I knew it would buy me a little time to recover. Wait, how did you get in here?"
"If there was a ward, it's not there anymore 'cause I simply ducked in here to get out of the hallway."
"She must have forgotten to put it back up. Then, you are not from the lodge? You know a way out of here, other than the front?"
"That I do, but I have to find someone first."
"If you promise to get me out of here, I will help you find who you are looking for."
"I'll do that if you are well enough to keep up."
**********
Ramika carefully took apart the king's signet and put the two rings on the chain to wear around her neck.
Rodgen slowly stirred and his snoring quieted. He sat up and wiped his brow. The short brown curls pasted themselves to his face, making him look almost cherubic. He stood slowly and ambled dizzily towards the table with the meat. He took out a knife and cut off small pieces. He chewed each piece slowly before swallowing.
Spenser and Radji chatted away, as Sabattian guarded the door.
"Boss!" Mark yelled as he pushed past Sabattian. Luke was closely on his heels, carrying a number of dead opossums.
"What is the matter? And, where is Matt?" Rodgen said wearily as he continued to eat.
"He's missing, boss." Luke replied, "I am afraid he has done something really stupid."
Ramika stood and dusted herself off. "What do you mean by stupid?"
Luke turned to Ramika after depositing the dead animals on the table away from the rest of the meat. "He kept insisting that game would be better further into the forest, but I knew that meant getting too close to the lodge. I tried to talk him out of it, but he would not listen."
"Oh hell." Rodgen sighed out, "Do you think he went to warn Lord Sinclair?"
"If he did he is probably dead," Ramika said flatly. "Hunter Sinclair is a prisoner, not a guest." She went on to explain to Luke and Mark what had happened to her during her time in the lodge.
"Oh hell is right, Boss." Mark said with a whistle.
"This means we have to make plans more quickly." Radji said as he cut a piece of the remaining skinned meat to eat. "Anastasia has the power to coerce weak minds. If he is caught, the false queen will know exactly where we are, and what we plan to do."
"Damn!" Spenser said, "Rodgen, Ramika, how soon will the two of you be ready to perform the calling of the king's sword?"
"It will take me at least another night of rest and preparation for the spell." Rodgen replied. "Unless I have help gathering what I need to make a secure circle, one that will not allow interruption by those outside the circle."
"A warding circle." Radji nodded, "A very good idea. One wrong move in the spell of the swords could be disastrous."
"You know enough about magic, Radji to help me find what I need. If you work with me, I can get the components in half the time."
"If the sour one lets me outside. He will not let me leave his sight."
"If I go with you , he won't grumble so much." Spenser replied.
Sabattian leans against the inner wall, concentrating on the dreary weather. If it were not that he knew the fog was part of the spell on the Sleeping Forest, he might have swore it was going to rain. the thought of rain made him smile inwardly. He loved the cool feel of rain on his face.
"Sabattian? ... Are you listening?" Ramika slowly puts her hand on his shoulder.
Sabattian jumps, partially because of his musing, and partially because of the power of the king's signet on the chain beneath Ramika's shirt.
"Is there something you need?" He snapped. He took a deep breath after he realized who he snapped at. "I'm sorry. "
"We are all nervous. Sabattian, you must let Radji help Rodgen gather what he needs for the barrier spell."
"I don't trust Radji. He needs to be watched."
"We do not have time to quibble about your misgivings. He gave me the true signet. It was enough to convince me of his intentions. Right now, we need his help. You can save your hate for later."
"I will go with him if he leaves this cave."
"No, Spenser will go with him. Spenser will not get in the way or accidentally step on the herbs needed for the spell."
"Are you questioning my competence?"
"No, your extremes in your mistrust. Did you hear what has happened?"
"Matt is lost."
"Did you hear the rest, about Anastasia possibly knowing this place?"
Sabattian sighed. "No. You are right my concentration was elsewhere."
"Sabattian," Rodgen yelled from inside. "We are going to go to another of our hiding places. I need you and Ramika to look after Mark and Luke, and the other way around. That way, if the exhaustion of any one of the four of you , the others can get help."
**********
Matt stared blankly at Hunter Sinclair as he slept in the glass coffin. He looked over at D and at Anamika. "Are you sure of what you told me, Mary?" He whispered into her ear.
"Yes, now let's leave. If we are caught down here, our heads will be on the shelves. It is not safe."
"I did not know he was a son of Dracula as well."
"Enough, Matt, come on. We need to take the side, servants tunnels. Luckily, the tunnels in the menagerie are being cleaned or else I would not have been able to lead you here. Now please, let's get out of here before Her Majesty catches us."
Matt nodded and followed Mary through the shadows to the tight entrance reserved for the cleaning crew. One or two heads raised from their mops and brooms but none said a word as Mary and Matt passed by. None of them took special notice and Mary doubted any of them would tell what they saw. The taskmaster was nowhere in sight, which was good.
The cleaning crew were the worst treated of Anastasia's slaves. All wore slave collars. They lived in a communal room with no water and no way to get out of the room to relieve themselves until the taskmaster came to open the locked door. Meals were few and far between. Anastasia only put those in her employ under these harsh constraints when they angered her to the point where she thought death was too good.
The sound of guests in the hall made the two pause.
"There is an empty room, we can use the slave entrance and sneak to your escape hole from there."
Mary lead Matt into what she, and the other slaves believed was an empty room.
"Finally, the old bitch as sent someone to me." Came a raspy voice from the bed. "Tap girl, come feed me and I promise I won't take too much. Boy, you must be the new valet she promised months ago before she tied me to this bed. You can start by getting my clothes out of the wardrobe and brushing them down with the clothing brush on the dresser."
Matt started to say something, but Mary quickly shushed him. "Play along. It is the only chance we have.
**********
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