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Full Moon || The Invitation (rev1) |
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Remiel turned the small card over in his hands, reclining against the plush velveteen chair and watching the glint of firelight skitter across the surface. It had been presented to him in place of a debt from a recently ascended aristocrat owing him more than a man’s weight in gold and tenfold that for the secrets that Remiel kept. The card was passed with shaking hands across the table with hastily murmured reassurances that it held it would be well worth the lord’s time. And so Remiel had accepted the card, tucking it discretely in his pocket with the promise to return should the claims prove false.
Only when he had settled in for the night did he remember the card again. Opening the seal with a practiced hand, Remiel withdrew the small square of paper. It was no mere card, but <i>the</i> card – an invitation to an event spoken only with hushed voices behind closed doors, known only to those who frequented the darker side of Nova Nona. He had disposed of the envelope quickly, tossing it into the fire to destroy it. Even that small piece would be enough to incriminate him – evidence of dark desires and even darker hobbies – the small corral of people and creatures kept beneath his grand home and masked behind his good name. He brushed a hand over the embossed words “Masquerade & Auction” feeling a familiar thrill flash through his chest. Yes, this was what he had been waiting for. The world had grown too dull as of late. No entertainment, no bobbles, no new preoccupations with which to fill his days. It was time.
The burn made him restless, such that even his wine’s good vintage could not quench his thirst. So, finishing the glass in a single swallow, he made his way simple closet door beside the house’s main entrance. There was a soft sliding click as the back panel opened to reveal a narrow entryway and spiralling set of iron-wrought stairs. In the basement, the air was damp and cold, heated only by the small fire pit at the corner and the tropical sanctuary built incongruously into the stone wall. Remiel whistled sharply as he descended the last step, the single note piercing the stifling silence. There was a sudden flurry of motion, deep inhuman screeches and the sound of many clawed feet rasping against the stone. A hound with too-many heads and jagged teeth too large for its mouth bounded to the man’s side, sitting obediently as Remiel snapped his fingers. However, Remiel’s expression remained displeased as he turned his head impatiently to the side.
“Where are the others..?” he asked to the darkness, voice barely loud enough to be heard over the din. With a dry rasp, a shadow detached itself from the wall, eyes sunken and arms trembling as it brought Remiel’s hand to its lips – yet its voice was strong and distinctly male when it replied. “The ‘birds’ have perished my lord. They were not meant to be confined nor without---“ Before the mancreature could finish speaking, Remiel already had him by the neck, lifting him off his feet. “I have no interest for your petty excuses,” he said with a small sigh of exasperation, grip tightening till the man began making small choking noises. “You had but one job to complete in exchange for the life I gave you,” he continued calmly, pacing his words as one would to a child, “I’m afraid, my dear keeper…any failure is inexcusable. Open the gates.“
“B-But…” the man protested, going so far as the grab hold of Remiel’s sleeve. Detaching the man’s grip, finger by finger, Remiel cooed in a mockingly sweet tone, “Ah, not a word now.....lest you disturb the beasts.” With a parting wave, he ascended the stairs once more, neither the echoing wail that chased his steps not the distinct sound of crunching bones enough to still his feet. It was time to get ready.
Shadomu · Thu May 12, 2011 @ 06:24pm · 0 Comments |
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