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Chapter 42: Woe, Oh The Mother of Secrets.
~~~ [START]
In a large castle-like hall, thrones big enough to be made for kings were set in a circular order.
Every one of them was seated upon by old, too-wrinkled-to-be-living people.
Yet right in its center, where a clean, marbled white floor was supposed to be seen, was only blood.
And on the sides, right on the curve where the large red entry mat moved, leading to their thrones, were large wooden constructs, big enough to be trees, all shaped as spears, all inserted into the ground and lifted upward, slightly bent toward the chair that belonged to the leader, a chair which was the largest.
And atop these wooden spears, right on their sharpest points, were dead, pale, bleeding bodies, all pierced in the heart by their own tree, respectively.
Two hundred of them, suspended from two hundred trees.
"This is what the Queen of Ocean Vail has brought upon her people," an old man said, his bald head shining even in the shade, voice deep and words oddly smooth. "This is what incompetence brings." He continued, yet no one said anything. They all watched as he stood there, hands behind his back, posture slightly bent to the floor.
"Ocean Vail's queen intruded upon the immortal," he continued, not turning to the thrones that surrounded him but keeping his eyes on the one that belonged to the leader, "and now here we stand, watching as her blood, watching as those she has turned, die because of foolishness."
Still, no one dared to speak. The only sound ever standing to protest was the silent drops of blood from the corpses of those he was referring to.
"Hear me, you wearers of masks," the old man said, voice low enough to be a whisper, not because of age, but because he inwardly wished they would mishear him. "I, Morthos Addams, swear in my family's name that as long as the immortal is bound to me by blood, he will be protected." The man did not pause or think, nor shiver. "I swear to burn all those who stand in his way. I swear to repay those who harm him tenfold, to slay their families, to enslave their descendants, and to turn their corpses undead."
The candles flickered as he finished, lightning striking outside, causing loud crackles of thunder to follow.
"Hear my words," he paused, and for the first time since walking in, for the first time since impaling all those from Ocean Vail, the old man turned his head, his black eyes moving as they observed everyone seated uncomfortably on their thrones. "Or else…"
Then he vanished, disconnecting from reality.
Leaving them all to wonder what they had witnessed.
"How is that geezer still alive?" asked an old woman, pride making her forget that age was kind to no one.
But no one replied. No one dared to.
It was obvious; it would be foolish not to suspect.
There was only one way he could have survived that long. Not even the oldest of them had reached the peak of Morthos Addams' age.
So, they only stayed silent, unaware of what was about to come.
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{ELSEWHERE}
"Who was on the call… was it Principal Weems?" Jessica asked, walking forward with a tray of tea in her hands, moving to the coffee table, pouring some tea into a cup, and handing it to Grandma Frump.
"It seems the boy has finally done it," Grandma Frump said, crossing her legs and accepting the cup.
"It wasn't his fault." Jessica moved back, sitting on the chair opposite. "Anyone would have taken defensive measures if they were him. Good thing the hunting of vampires is not considered illegal in most cases, especially in cases where the person is provoked. The only thing bad I see is that young Master Ash won't get to experience the pleasures of being in prison."
"It won't matter anyway," Grandma Frump shot, taking a sip of tea. "Last time I checked, there won't be a case to be made to begin with." She paused, thinking about her statement. "Because for all I know, the Addams have most likely stepped in, and if I'm right, even by an ounce, by now a bunch of those bloodsuckers have already been wiped out." She giggled after saying it, her voice tinged with the evidence of amusement.
"I just wonder how he did it," Jessica finally broke the silence. "I mean, executing that many… alone. I always thought immortals were weak without their secret weapon."
"Weapon?" Frump's face faked confusion.
"Yeah… the one you said we're set to find."
She laughed when she heard her, shaking her head, legs still crossed while occasionally swinging their heels.
"What weapon?" She finished, grin still maintained.
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{ELSEWHERE}
'Why did you abandon me, Lucian?'
'Why, Lucian? WHY, WHY!'
Ash's head bolted upward, breaking the recurring dream as his eyes widened completely, gaze turning to the front.
This was the second time this feeling had happened to him. It was the second time his consciousness had slipped.
He never used to get unconscious before; he never used to experience it.
But then he turned, and he nearly jumped at the jump scare.
Weems was seated at the side, legs crossed and eyes completely fixed on him.
She wasn't smiling, nor reacting to him.
Just looking, staring, watching as if waiting for him to speak.
"Eh… sup…"
"Thirteen bodies were found dead last night," she said, cutting him off. "All dead near the schoolyard."
Ash bit his teeth as the memories from yesterday's event slowly started surfacing in his mind.
"Three who were human, ten who were vampires." She paused for a while after announcing it, looking straight at him, searching for an ounce of regret, but she got nothing, only awkward smiles and forced sighs of compassion. "Your therapy has been increased from two times a week to three."
She then stood up, not bothering to ask anything, not even sparing a glance at what he would say.
But then she paused, her body halfway to the exit.
"It doesn't matter the reason," she said, still looking away, voice a bit hesitant. "Vampire or not, we are all outcasts. I don't know what happened yesterday, but whatever it was, lives were taken while others were put at great risk."
Ash just raised a brow, clearly feeling helpless as to what he was meant to say.
She nearly said more, but her words got caught after a sigh.
THUD!
The door to the clinic shut, leaving Ash to stare at her retreat completely dazed.
He shook his head, throwing it atop a pillow, eyes completely locked on the ceiling.
Was he really in the wrong?
Was he not supposed to protect himself?
He didn't know.
But then a thought crossed his mind, something he had mindlessly overlooked when she was talking.
"Wait…" he paused, nearly lifting himself. "Those guys were vampires?"
~~~ [END]
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Join my PT for extra Chapters ~ p*tr-eon name is DUSK_IS_MEE
.Extra chapters available.
-Extra chapters also include audio-books.
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