NaNoWriMo Writings

724 words

Then he saw the same ankh on a threshold. He reached up and pushed the wood at the top of the door, but nothing happened. He tried the door, first using human strength, then vampiric strength. The latch clicked open.

Ragest looked around the dimly lit corridor that led downward. The fluorescent lights weren’t bright enough for human eyes. He could see the traps if he looked for them: a piece of twine on the step, one of the steps a little higher than the rest. He skipped over that one, and followed the stairs down, into a dark, damp cellar. Black mold was half way up the walls, and it smelled damp and dank. He walked down a corridor, checking the side doors. All were locked.

He ducked under a large pipe and saw a half-sized door at the end of the corridor. He tried the two doors to the side—locked. He examined the little door, and, as he suspected, an ankh was etched into the door frame. Vampiric strength pulled open the door. He ducked inside.

And fell face-first down a hole.

He put his arms out to try and stop himself from falling, but soon enough, he hit the ground, an echo of his back hitting steel. Ragest would have had the wind knocked out of him, had he any. It was too late that he saw the ladder that led up.

Then, he heard a twang and he ducked. A crossbow bolt stuck out of the concrete wall. A flash of light erupted after he heard something, probably the crossbow, fall onto the steel floor. The light illuminated the floor, and he could see large dirty bird claws on the floor.

“Feathershin,” said Ragest, standing up straight and putting both hands up.

“Ragest?”

“Yeah.”

The light went out, and a small creature that came up to his chest barreled into him. “Son of a bitch! Where the fuck you been?”

“Nice to see you too,” he said, returning the hug. The bird claws clattered on the floor as he stepped back.

“Welcome to my new home! Completed in 1964.”

Ragest followed the creature. They crossed a section, and a thin yellow light above them went on.

Now he could see his old friend. He still had tufts of thick brown hair coming out from his otherwise bald head, and large, almost bunny ears, that stood straight up. Fur, or hair, gathered at the back of his neck and down his spine. He was naked, his skin rough, scaly and phosphorescent. He glowed blue in the dark, just enough for Ragest to see the general shape of the creature in the dim steel tube.

“Is this a subway?”

“No, not really. This is a sewer pipe from the ’50’s. I got it real cheap.” He turned his head back to face Ragest. His face was flat, almost like a pig’s, but had long fangs in front. “C’mon. I got a fifty-inch TV down here with all the cable channels.”

He turned right, and bright light was ahead of them. 

“Why did you leave the cemetery?”

“Oh, long story, that.” They entered the well-lit room. High arched ceilings with assorted carvings in them were above their heads, thick, plush carpeting was at their feet. Just a little further was another room, this time with wood floors and a raised dais at the end of it.

“Elysium?”

“It was. When we had such things.” Feathershin flopped down on a large leather couch. “So, old timer, tell me what you’ve been up to.”

“You promise to tell me what’s been going on?”

Feathershin grinned, showing more teeth than should be possible in a human mouth. “Tomorrow. You can stay here today.”

“That much detail?”

“Of course. I would give you as much detail as you needed, my Prince.”

Ragest shook his shaggy head. “Not anymore.”

Feathershin tried to look doe-eyed. “You’ll always be my prince.” It didn’t work. 

 “And you’ll be my Primogen,” said Ragest.

“So. Spill.”

“I went down south and was in the Confederate Army. Stayed down there during Reconstruction and the wars, and the black uprisings.”

“More than that.”

“Hmm?”

“There’s more than that. You left here for a reason.”

Ragest looked up at the detailed ceiling. “I didn’t want to do it anymore.”

“Why?”

“You’re my Primogen, not my confessor.”