Being of Fire, Chapter 2

(Chapter 1)

I finally got out of the old mansion that I was being held prisoner in. Sure, it looked big and wonderful on the outside, but on the inside it was a prison for the most dangerous vampires and werewolves. I didn't even do anything that bad, I only tried to set all of New York on fire. Anyway, now that I'm free, I can get back to work. Turning my back on the old mansion and prison, I launched myself into the sky and shot forward. A shooting star in the night sky, on it's way to America.

A lot changes in fifteen-hundred years. Back in 506, when I was still a free man (more or less) there wasn't even a New York, just a small colony of vampires and an Indian village. I rebelled against them and was punished for it. But even though I was locked up for all this time, news still reaches me about my old home town. I learnt about Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524. He was the first European vampire in the area. I also learnt about the revolution. All of the information I have absorbed over the years has come from the spirits and memories of the beings I have consumed while in prison and also from my pet crow. I wonder if they will remember me. I doubt it.

I landed in a dark alley in one of the back streets of Manhattan, right next to the entrance to the vampire underground. All vampires had been forced underground after a war was raged to overthrow them. The humans won and became rulers. It happened here first, and soon the rest of the world followed. I entered a door in the brick building. Automatic lights flickered on above as I walked through the corridor. The leather trench coat I stole from the boy flapping behind me, sword in hand. I reached the end of the corridor and opened a door. There was nothing but a steel ladder leading down. I slid down the ladder and landed deep underground. Ancient torches were bolted to the wall, I'm almost certain that no one had changed the decorations here since it was first made. It was still damp, dark, creepy and smelly. It was like a scene from a horror film, magic torches catching on fire as you walked past, only illuminating a metre or so ahead of you. Nobody was there as I entered the ancient underground city. They knew I was coming, they knew what I planned to do. There was only one thing left. "Hey! Are you really all going to just let this happen? No army? No werewolves? Nothing!? Well, alright, I guess it just makes my job easier." Silence. Maybe there wasn't anyone here. Maybe they all left because they knew they couldn't stop me. Maybe... I heard a low growling behind me, I readied myself. Waited. Nothing. The growling persisted. I turned around slowly, facing the noise. I could only just make out a great figure in the distance. I didn't look like any werewolf or vampire I'd ever seen. It was about 10 feet tall, hairy, long fangs. Spikes were running down its back and along it's scaly tail. The scales on it's tail were purple and the hair on it's body was black. I got the feeling that it was poisonous. The great beast stood about a hundred metres away. It's only movement was the rising and falling of it's body as it breathed heavily in and out. "Well aren't you going to attack?" I asked. The beast just grunted. "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?"

"I do not talk to my food." So, the beast could talk.

"Oh don't think of me as food, think of me as an enemy, or maybe an ally. Just depends on your decision."

"It is not up for discussion. I have been ordered to attack and kill the vampire Lucifer. Is it you that I am after?"

"Yes, my name's Lucifer. Nice to meet you. Now, before I kill you, would you be so kind as to tell me the name of the beast I am slaying?"

"I do not have a name. People call on me to dispose of those that they cannot. That is what I have been called here to do and so I must do it."

"I see. Well then I'm sure you'll be missed when you're gone." At this I launched forward and slashed at the monster with my sword. He jumped and kicked me in the side with his great hooves. He was fast, but I was faster. As I flew to the side I spun my body around and landed on the wall, defying gravity.

"So who's your master? Who summoned you to dispose of me?" I said, walking up the wall towards the ceiling.

"I have been told to never say my masters name, not even in my dying breath."

"I understand. I may not be an honest man, but I tend to keep my promises." As I reached the ceiling I pushed off against the wall and turned my body into flame, lighting up the whole underground city. I rushed straight through the body of the unknown beast. I stopped and stood, my body still flame. Behind me a pile of dust and ash, in front of me, countless eyes, staring down, watching the fight. Illuminated by my flames, the whole city watches in amazement as I pick up my sword (which I dropped somewhere between reaching the ceiling and charging) and float up to meet them. They all run, but it's too late. I have them all in my sights, every single last one of them. I lifted up a flame covered arm, pointed my palm towards the mass of vampires, and let loose a million dancing tongues of flame. Another million, and another, and another, until there was no one left alive. The whole city was ablaze. No one lived within its walls, not one soul left alive. I walked out of the underground city and never looked back.

-- The old vampire hobbled up to the throne. Giovanni, king of the vampires, stared down at him. His gaze full of judgement. "What do you want?" He asked the old man.

"Sire, I bring grave news." The old vampire said. "The Being of Fire, Lucifer, he has escaped."

"What!" Giovanni roared, his eyes growing bright red as his anger raged. "How do you know this? What happened!?"

"H-He attacked Manhattan last night sire. He left no one alive and burnt the city down. He even managed to slay Humbaba." The old man finished, out of breathe.

"I see. We must do anything we can to destroy him then. Guards! Send out armies to find and kill Lucifer. He must not be allowed to succeed."


(Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5)