Blood:- The Eternal Struggle. Chapter 1:- Of Knights and Temples Pt2

[Stormtrooper1990]

In Part 2, Anna and Katrina infiltrate the Sanguinis temple. But can Anna trust her new partner, as she discovers surprising revelations about the young Novice.



They often called Stormward ' The Frozen Jewel of the North' and having spent most of her undeath here, Anna could see why. She stood on the rooftop of the Wracked Man, as she always did before she embarked on a job, it was five minutes before her 7 o'clock meeting with the mysterious but beautiful Katrina. Anna held out her fingers, as snow fell around her and she gazed out to take in the city of Stormward. The white sun had long set, casting a beautiful twilight over the city, a blue and green aurora danced in the night sky enveloping the twin moons, Hope and Faith, in its embrace. The night would last for 14 hours of the 26 hour day, even during the summer months, and for a vampire like Anna it was a perfect playground to ply her trade. The sing!e most striking feature of the City was it's famous Ice Spire, currently shrouded in snow clouds and wrapped in the stunning Aurora. The Ice Spire, is the only remaining feature of the original Elven city of Stormhaven, Syrion had told her it was were the elven nobility ruled over it's subjects, in grand villas cut from the Ice and warmed using magic. Fast forward 600 years later, and nothing had really changed, the High-Chancellor and the ruling nobility now lived in the glittering halls, over the bones of the ancient elves. Anna had visited many cities across the known world, and seen many fantastical sights, but there was something about the twilight beauty of Stormward that always drew her back. " Syrion told me that I would find you here. It is beautiful isn't it, Stormward?" The clipped sultry accent of Katrina, snapped her from her thoughts, as the beautiful human walked up beside her. Anna looked into her big brown eyes, the light from the aurora, casting them a mysterious aura. " I have travelled the world, and I have learned that beauty takes many forms. But yes, the city is a marvel." Katrina smiled, Anna found her very captivating, even more so that she had changed into form fitting brown leather armour, with a traditional Stormward fur hat. " You do know how to flatter a girl. So how will we approach the temple?" Anna grinned, flashing her pointed teeth. " You see that ad blimp, coming by?" She pointed to the stream dirigible, currently advertising the Twilight Casino, passing by the roof of the pub. Katrina nodded, but flashed her a nervous look. Anna gestured to the young woman, to join her. Katrina put her arms around Anna, the warmth of her body, sending feelings of arousal through Anna's cold body. She drew her dwarven crossbow, and pointed it at the body of the blimp. Katrina's eyes widened in shock. " Wait, you are not are not going to do what I think you are going to do?" Anna simply shot a crossbow bolt, with a wire attached, onto the body of the blimp and clutching Katrina tightly, ran off the roof of the Wracked Man. Using the momentum of the swing, and a little vampire strength, Anna swung through the air to the other side of the street, clutching Katrina as she screamed with exhilaration.


As the two women, landed on the opposite rooftop, Anna detached the wire and holstered her crossbow. Katrina was panting through the exhilaration of the death defying swing. " That was.. I never experienced anything like that. You were mag-" Anna quickly covered her mouth, pulling her gently behind an extractor fan unit. Anna put her finger to her lips, as they peered over edge. It was two members of the Stormward City Watch, one male one female, both human. The City Watch, served as both the military and police force for the city of Stormward, recruiting both humans and vampires. Their uniforms consisted of a blue doubled breasted great coat, their ranks displayed on their sleeves, with black combat webbing containing clips for their Dwarven made semi-auto rifles, and matching black gloves and a field canteen, with a sabre belted at their waist. Officers differed by wearing a crimson coat. Underwhich they wore matching black battledress, of double breasted jacket and trousers with jackboots that came above their knees. The traditional Stormward fur hat, perched over their heads, with the city crest pinned at the centre. " I could swear I heard screaming, just now. Maybe we should check it out, Corp?" Said the female guard, a standard trooper, judging by her lack of rank on her sleeves and epaulettes. Her companion, a male Corporal, shook his head. "Don't worry about it, rookie. Probably a courtesan, getting a little too excited with a John or a Jane." Anna turned to Katrina, gesturing to her to keep low as they sneaked past the two guards, Anna carefully used a little mind manipulation, on the female guard, to buy them time enough to sneak to the next roof top. " I definitely heard something, that time Corporal." The male guard rolled his eyes. " Now are just hearing the wind. This is going on your next performance review." The moments distraction, allowed the two women to slip past unnoticed.



It took them 10 minutes to reach the Warehouse District, free running on the rooftops past the giant steam powered ships unloaded their cargo at the docks. They were soon overlooking the Sanguinis compound, a small collection of abandoned warehouses that were given over to the cult through the Freedom of Worship Act. Anna could see the entrance flanked by the cult symbol on standards, a stylised blood drop embroidered in gold on a red background with two Nocturne soldiers, Vampires dressed in red plate armour and silver masked helmets, greatswords sheathed on their back, standing guard. Anna could also see a number of young female cultists, garbed in a long flowing red robe that hung from their bare shoulders, cinched at the waist with a gold sash, and matching hoods. Around their necks they wore a cult medallion, that reached down to the top of their cleavage, with brass bangles on each wrist. Leather strapped sandals covered their feet. Anna smiling, turned to Katrina. " We can ambush a couple of those pretty cultists, take their robes. That should be our ticket in, besides I need a quick snack." Katrina laughed. " Great minds think alike." Anna found that a curious comment coming from a Novice of the Holy Church. She took out a small dart, containing a vial of clear liquid, and handed it to the novice. " My vampire venom. I distill it into these darts. It puts a subject down for 6 hours. Jab the cute cultist with the dart, she goes into a deep sleep. You can strip her and stash her, and when she wakes she won't remember a thing." Katrina took the dart. " Good to know." She said as pocketed the dart. Anna turned and looked down into the alley, seeing two young cultists walk down the alley, she smiled baring her teeth. " Here comes our delivery."


Sanguinis cultists Colleen Van Sant and Serenna had decided to make a quick shortcut to the temple, through the alley between Warehouses 2 and 3, to save time. The two women where new to the cult, and had joined out of a feeling of dissatisfaction with the Holy Church, and with the fact they disapproved of Colleen's interracial relationship with Serenna. Colleen was only 20 summers old, with long black hair under her red hood, that framed a face with slender cheekbones, rounded features and blue almond shaped eyes. She gently squeezed the hand, of her elven girlfriend, Serenna. She had the sharp beautiful angular features of her people, with small pointed ears of an elven youth of 25 summers. Her auburn pixie cut hidden by her hood, with piercing green eyes that glistened in the moonlight. As they walked hand in hand to the temple, Colleen stumbled. " Damn fucking sandals, I still can't get used to them. Why don't they give us shoes that fit?" Serenna gently picked up her lover. " Tell me about it, I'am an elf and these things give me trouble. I hope they don't spoil your pretty feet." Colleen took her hands into Serennas, pulling in close. " That's what I love about you, Sera. You always now what to say." Serenna smiled as they leant in to kiss, suddenly a gloved hand clamped around Colleen's mouth and a blonde vampire bit her on her neck. Before Serenna, had a chance to scream she felt a gloved hand grip her mouth, and a needle plunge into her neck. Serenna slumped in her attackers arms, as she quickly fell unconscious.


Anna, felt the familiar exhilarating feeling of fresh blood enter her body, the cultist tasted much sweeter on account of her sexual feelings for her elven lover. Sensing that the girl had lost consciousness, hearing a slow heart beat, Anna pulled out of the dark embrace. She turned to see an aroused Katrina, standing over the unconscious body of the elf girl. " That was so.... attractive. I have heard of the embrace but never seen it." She said as she begun to strip off her leather armour, kneeling by the unconscious cultist. As Anna, gently lowered the unconscious human to the floor, and stripped to her black lace G-string thong, she began to have doubts about her companion. Katrina certainly didn't act like your usual Ordos Novice, and Anna got the feeling she was holding something back. Storing the information for later, she started to strip the sleeping cultist. She started by removing her jewellery, including her bangles and medallion, and sandals putting them on herself. Anna removed her hood, revealing a curtain of raven coloured hair that fell around her shoulders, then uncinching the sash from the cultists body, peeled off her robes from her shoulders and down her lush slim body. Anna took in the exposed C-cup breasts of the young cultist, they were rounded, firm and springy with slightly pointed circular dark pink areolas, and the simple black loincloth that covered her modesty, Anna untied the loincloth, deciding that they would sit well under the disguise, slipping off the garment revealing the girl's small vulva, crowned with a thin strip of trimmed black pubic hair. As Anna got dressed in the cultists robes, she took in the slight of a naked Katrina, she had a toned athletic body with small but buoyant B-cup breasts and shaved vulva, sending feelings of desire through Anna's breasts and loins. Anna looked down at the naked elf girl, with her small but buoyant B-cups with full roundel shaped areolas and clean shaven vulva, her eyes widening when she saw the similarities. Why didn't she see it before? When both women got dressed, Anna turned to her. " Like what you see, Anna?" Flirted Katrina, as she picked up the naked body of the sleeping elf girl. Anna scooped up the naked brunette. " You are an half-elf? How did you wind up in the cloister?" She said as they both dumped the sleeping naked women, in a nearby crate, along with their gear. Katrina took a deep breathe. " I'am sorry, I should have told you. I will tell you everything after we have concluded our business here. You have certainly earned that much." She gently caressed Anna's cheek, and smiled as they fell into step, walking out of the alley towards the temple.


As the two women, now disguised as cultists, walked past the two temple guards and into the main foyer, Katrina turned to Anna. " So they are Nocturne's military arm." She whispered. " I have never had the pleasure myself, but I wouldn't want to try out those greatswords were I mortal. Combine Vampire speed, strength and the immunity to bullets, they could take over the known world." Katrina shot Anna a grave look as they joined the assembled throng of worshippers. The interior of the temple resembled nothing of the old industrial unit it once was. A large red carpet led down into an undercroft, flanked by two Sanguinis guards. Large chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting the whole temple in an eerie reverent light. Flanking the carpet, were carved obsidian statues of bat like creatures that made Anna feel uneasy. To take her mind from the grotesques, Anna scanned the crowd detecting heart beats all around her, and higher ranking cultists wearing black robes. Taking a closer look at several of the higher ranking cultists, Anna's eyes widened in shock. "That's Earl Musgrave, he is on the High Chancellor's staff as minister of finance and the Marquesa Richmond, she's the Minister for education. What aren't you telling me, Katrina?" Before she could answer, a gong sounded and a masked herald, with a silver female face mask, emerged. " Brothers and Sisters, please make your way below the undercroft for tonight's sacrifice." She announced with a clap as the assembled throng moved towards the undercroft. Anna turned to Katrina. " I knew you were holding something back. This isn't about them und--" Katrina shushed her gently, laying an hand on her forearm. " I will tell you everything, when we are out of this place I swear. But we need to see how these plays out, trust me." Anna didn't at that precise moment, but she had a morbid sense of curiosity, she too wanted to know just what was going on down there. They went along with the tide of worshippers, under the earth.


As they came out of the tunnel, Anna let out a small breath of awe. The cult had been busy, they had carved a massive round room out of the rock, in the centre was a raised dias that was connected to a back room by a stone walkway. Massive tapestries hung from the rear of the large room, both displayed an image of Castle Winterberg, framed by a blood red sun. Anna did a double take, how could that be possible? The same image from her dream, it couldn't be a coincidence. Shaking the thought from her head, she noticed the large obsidian statue the tapestries flanked. A female figure, that could only be the vampire Gisella herself, Anna felt an nerving sensation that the carved eyes were following her. " I never anticipated this, we believed the cult wasn't this organised." The voice of Katrina snapped her out of her fugue. Anna turned to her." They have had 200 years, to set this up and you are surprised? Here I thought the Holy Ordos recruited smart women." Before Katrina could shoot back with an angry whisper, the far doors opened to reveal a young female cultist, barely 19 summers old wearing the same robes as they were, she was accompanied by two additional cultists and a priest dressed in ornate black robes, embrioded with gold with a large gold mask fashioned in the grimace of a skull. He was holding a sharp curved dagger in his right hand. He gestured to the young cultist. "This girl as decided to give herself willingly to the sacred blood, she is blessed among you all for her courage. Prepare her for her journey, sisters." They watched as the two cultists beside her stripped her of her robes, jewellery and loincloth leaving her completely naked, one of the cultists handed her a goblet, which drank from, when she was finished she handed back to the cultist. The priest walked behind her, drawing his dagger in front of her throat. " Are you prepared, to give yourself to the blood child?" The sacrifice held out her arms." I'am prepared to give myself, wholly and fully to the blood! Take me!" She said, her face full of rapture. With that, the priest slit her throat in one quick motion, she still had a smile on her face as her lifeblood shot from the ruin of her neck, and poured down her bare B-cup breasts. She tumbled off the dias, into the void below, as the crowd shouted "Ad sanguinum, Ad sanguinum." Anna was shaken, in all her long years she had never seen such a waste of innocent life. " Monstrous. Monstrous." She said, as she shot out of the undercroft, with Katrina close behind her, tears of blood streaming down her face.


When they were safely away from the temple, and back into the alley where they had stashed the naked cultists, Anna rounded on Katrina. " First members of the High Council are involved, then a girl is sacrificed to become a vampire. What the fuck are you not telling me? Out with it!" Katrina held out her hands. " You are right, Anna. I haven't been completely honest with you." She turned to retrieve their gear, tossing Anna's to her as she spoke. " I'am a Novice of the Order, but I'am a member of the Inquisition. An investigator if you like." Anna pulled off her cultist disguise. " The inquisition? Those bastards burn vampires for sport. Even registered ones. What have you gotten me into!?" She spat as she pulled on her leather armour. " The Inquisition believes that the cult is trying to influence the High Chancellor, maybe even assassinate him." Anna shook her head. " So all that crap, you spoonfed me. Was any of that real? Or was it just garbage to butter me up?" As Katrina put on her cape, she turned away. Anna could swear she saw the glisten of tears in her eyes. " I was ordered to recruit you. You are the only registered Vampire, from Nocturne in the city. An original. We believed that your knowledge,could be invaluable in countering the Nocturne threat." Anna took out her crossbow, placing a rope bolt and locking it. " And by countering, you mean burning my kind." She pointed it to the roof top and fired it, Katrina ran after her as Anna abseiled to the roof. " I'am sorry, Katrina. I won't be used as a pawn by the Inquisition, in it's political games. Farewell." She shouted from the rooftop, down at Katrina. As she turned away, Anna could hear Katrina calling her name. She ran as fast as she could, tears of blood streaming down her face.


It didn't take Anna long to retrace her steps back to the roof of the Wracked Man. As soon as she landed, she made her way down to her room, only to be confronted by Katrina standing by her open window. " I didn't like the way we left things, there is more I want to share. Please, I know you have no reason to trust me, but hear me out." Anna tensed her hands, it was a strange feeling, she should be angry with Katrina by rights she should have torn out her throat. But she still felt drawn, captivated by the beautiful Novice. She gestured to her bed. " You have five minutes, if I don't like anything you say, you are going face first out of that window. Pretty or no." They both sat on Anna's bed. " I have no knowledge of my parents, I was left abandoned on the steps of the Grand Cathedral. All they know was that my father was a human, and my mother was elven. For all intents and purposes I'am human but I have a few elven tricks up my sleeve. I was recruited first for the Order then approached by the inquisition, who wanted a young streetwise operative, who could be the bridge between two cultures." Anna nodded. " You told me that you had a history with vampires, is that truth or a lie." Katrina hunched near her. " I once loved a vampire. The Inquisition ordered me to investigate her, believing her to be responsible for 5 deaths, therefore violating the terms of her licence. It turns out she was innocent, but I fell for her. She was beautiful, mysterious and dangerous." Anna laid her hand on Katrina's. "I don't see any bite scars on your body." Katrina smiled, squeezing Anna's hand. " She told me, Vampires don't feed from those they love." She took a deep breathe. " She fled to Nocturne, she said she couldn't handle the sideways looks the Church was giving her. She broke my heart. That was over a year ago." Anna caressed her cheek, looking into her big beautiful eyes. " Then she was a fool. I would have stayed with you, damned what anyone else thought." She and Katrina leant in, kissing passionately on the lips. " Allow me to make it up to you, Anna." They both locked lips again, laying down on Anna's bed. They tore at each others clothes, their hands exploring each others toned bodies, as they gave into their carnal desires.

[simon4242]

wonderful.......serenna and coleen do we get an epic epilogue stormzy

[Stormtrooper1990]

THE STORMWARD HERALD

BREAK IN AT SANGUINIS TEMPLE


By Calista Mayweather Local Correspondent


The Sanguinis Cult, face embarrassing questions today, when two of their members were found unconscious naked in a crate in an alleyway between Warehouses 2 and 3 just metres away from the Sanguinis compound, by officers of the City Watch. They had both been stripped of their robes and possessions. They have been identified as local women Colleen Van Sant, 20 summers, and the elf maiden Serrena, 25 summers. Both were rushed to Stormward Central Hospitalis, were they made a full recovery but have no memory of their attackers. Upon examination by chirurgeons, they were found to have traces of Vampire venom in their systems. Therefore leading City Watchmen, to believe that two female suspects robbed the pair for their clothes to infiltrate the temple, and at least one of them could be an unregistered vampire.


If you have any information on the crime, or on the unregistered vampire, then please contact your nearest City Watch station immediately. It is the duty of all citizens to report an unregistered vampire.

[simon4242]

superb ..shame they had to join a cult because of their love

[Stormtrooper1990]

superb ..shame they had to join a cult because of their love

I know. Love makes people do crazy things.

[simon4242]

lets hope at some point they can free themselves ......

[Stormtrooper1990]

lets hope at some point they can free themselves ......

Before they become sacrifices. Willing or not.

[simon4242]

exactly .........

[meditions142]

I very much like the idea of "vampire venom" that can keep a woman unconscious for up to six hours. I also like the idea of being able to put the venom in a dart.

I also like the comment " Anna carefully used a little mind manipulation on the female guard". Would love to see that used a bit more. Just how much can be done with Anna's mind manipulation?

[Stormtrooper1990]

I very much like the idea of "vampire venom" that can keep a woman unconscious for up to six hours. I also like the idea of being able to put the venom in a dart.

I also like the comment " Anna carefully used a little mind manipulation on the female guard". Would love to see that used a bit more. Just how much can be done with Anna's mind manipulation?

In my next story, will feature Anna using her manipulate powers to get a disguise mark to undress, then command her to sleep. Which can work just as well as the venom dart. It only works on the weak minded, so similar to a jedi mind trick and she can also make someone forget that she was there, like the vampires in "The Vampire Diaries."