Free Web NovelChapter 25: Chapter 025: The One Above All.
The Pleasure District was still and silent as morning crept up slowly across the city. The streets were not yet stirred; the bustle and noise of the previous night having taken its usual toll on the inhabitants.
The morning sunlight leaked weakly through the slats of worn out window shutters, covering the building’s interior in dusty, dawn gold. The scent of aged wine, beer, aphrodisiacs, and cigarettes from the night still hung, albeit not heavily, in the air. Across the patios, empty goblets, used plates and half-burned candles were scattered across the tables.
The halls were quiet, save for the occasional creaking of distant floorboards under the feet of a few early risers, and muffled snores from closed rooms.
The doorbell rang out as three individuals, draped in black cloaks that covered their faces, stepped into the tavern. They stood tall and proud, with postures that seemed far too elegant for a place like this.
Beneath the shadows cast on their faces by the hoods, their eyes gleamed red, as they carefully scrutinized their surroundings, in nigh disgust and a tint of disdain.
"She’s here, Fredrick," the female calmly reported.
"Yes," the tallest of the three, Fredrick, replied, taking off his hood. His slit pupils grew thinner as rage overtook him. "To think our Progenitor was reborn in such an undignified place. How deplorable.
"Now, now, children. Still thy hearts and stay thy hands. We do not want the rulers of this city to detect our presence, do we?"
"Apologies, Elder!"
"I’m sorry, Elder!"
The madam came out, pipe in hand. "Welcome, travellers. Interested in a room?"
The Elder walked up. "I’m afraid we will have to pass up on that offer, my lady. We have come here seeking someone. We will compensate for the stress."
The madam’s eyes glinted at the mention of compensation.
"The name of the young lady has eluded me, unfortunately. But then, I believe she was born within a few days ago."
Madame furrowed her brows. "There’s been no childbirth here in a while, kind sir. Could it be that you’re mistaken?"
Fredrick stepped up instantly. "He meant awakening. You know old folks and their love for things of the past." He chuckled.
"Oh, awakening is indeed similar to rebirth, isn’t it? Well, our Nyx awakened just yesterday," Madame stated with pride. "And I must tell you, she cost me a pretty penny to look after."
"Elder, do we cut off her head?" the female asked.
"Beatrice, be still." The slit in the old man’s eyes grew thinner, alongside his patience. ’Newborns these days...’he thought.
"Kind lady, how much would be enough to take the girl off your hands? We will try to compensate to the best of our ability. And our pockets." He joked.
The madame purred, making a cat-like gesture at the old man. "Quite the gentleman, aren’t ya. I’ll let you have her for... 150 gold. She’s an untouched beauty, after all. My most precious child!"
The younger escorts nearly coughed out blood. "They are selling our Progenitor for a mere 150 gold coins. Truly deserving of death. Too bad Aldridge doesn’t give us the go-ahead."
Aldridge pinched the bridge of his nose, a long breath escaping as his cloak fluttered with his sigh. His pride had also taken a heavy hit.
"To think my Progenitor would bear such disgrace."
To the long lived vampires, a hundred and fifty gold coins was nothing much than chicken change and it would be a thing of shame and loss of reputation as well as something that would irk the Progenitor, if it was ever heard she was given to them at fifteen gold, though they could have taken her away subtly or by force.
But then, to the humans, one fifty gold was a sum huge enough to buy an average-sized house, a plot of land and some farm animals with a touch of a few bags of grains, if you knew your salt.
Aldridge sighed again. "To save the face of one of our own, two thousand gold coins, if you do not mind. Fredrick. This is a matter of pride and face."
"Yes sir." He brought a bag of gold that was to heavy, the coins couldn’t even chink out loud. Aldridge passed it to the madame who stood there, mouth agape with shock.
With a thousand gold coins, after settling all her workers, she could get her own estate or even open a bigger, better brothel over at the Imperial Capital and entertain high rank nobles and senior officials! She was set for life! But then...
She regained her composure, pretending not to be moved by the large sum and that she cared about the welfare of her workers. She did care, but not enough spit out sugar placed in her mouth by the Goddess!
"Who is Nyx to you? Is she some kind of lost princess? What family are you three affiliated to?"
" One thousand more, if you stop poking your nose into our business, madame."
"Sir, yes, sir!! Right this way, I’ll take you to her. Lily! Lily!"
"Yes, madame."
"Pardon me for a moment, gentlemen, lady." The madame floated away to her most loved worker.
"Lily, pack up our stuff. We’ve struck gold. We leave in two hours! Toodaloo!"
"Wait, ma’am. What am I packing, where are we—"
"In fact, pack nothing. Dress to your best. We leave this godforsaken place in two hours. Also gather the rest of the girls. I’ll be down shortly!"
She floated back to the ’guests’.
She led the way as they ascended the staircase. As soon as they came onto the corridor, the trio picked up on the subtle aura and pheromones seeping out of the room at the end of the corridor.
The madame, still beaming with happiness, pushed open the door to reveal a girl, white-haired and delicate, no older than seventeen, laid amidst tangled, faded sheets and torn curtains.
On seeing her, their beloved progenitor, they beamed with satisfaction.
White hair spilled around her shoulders, skin pale and flawless. She blinked at the "intruders." Her eyes — one deep red, the other dim gold — were open, but not fully awake, like they were tired.
Aldridge walked up, admiration radiating from his eyes. With voices low and filled with care, he spoke: "We have found you, our source, our beginning." A gentle hand reached out, trembling slightly with a mix of respect and yearning.
Fredrick turned to the madame. "Leave us."
"Yes...ss," she stuttered, turning out of the room, annoyed she wouldn’t get to watch what weird thing was unfolding. But the annoyance faded as she remembered the gold she’d just earned!
Nyx suddenly felt the urge to hold the three strangers close — her body moved subconsciously, taking the hand of the Elder.
Though uncertainty darkened her eyes, she beckoned on them.
"Come, children, drink up
Beatrice nodded, her eyes, shining with happiness. " May I?"
" Yes, fear not." Who was talking!?
Without much thought she leaned forward instinctively as the trio closed the distance. Without much ado, the Aldridge and Frederick took her wrists in their cold, firm hands, steadying her as though she might fall without their aid.
Beatrice leaned forward, her eyes still glowing with reverence as her fangs buried into the girl’s neck.
And yet they all in the room failed to notice one very little matter.
Standing on a rooftop, a few meters away from the brothel was a white robed, white haired individual watching the unfolding scene since they hadn’t bothered to close the windows. His dark red eyes flickered in curiosity as a crooked smirk lifted one side of his lips in lazy amusement.
Earlier, as soon he left the Limnor’s home with that kind of stunt, it only took him a few seconds to ground himself as the familiar liquid trickled from his nose. It was at that time that he’d felt a mana signature or rather signatures that were inherently different from those of humans. And part of his pact with Adrian was to kill demons, otherwise non humans. So he decided to drop by and see who or what they were and what they were doing.
The first thing he noted was that they were not those Khyronians. Pale, not red, skin and human-like appearance removed most of his doubts. On closer examination, he remembered that the auras of the demons were much more aggressive and murderously dark while the individuals he was looking at, theirs was much more polished and refined, although their actions of ’sucking’ the blood of another was a practice Mikael had never experienced,not even in the boy’s memories. And so he kept watching them until he got bored and went off while still smiling.
At the same time Mikael left, Aldridge looked up suddenly in his general direction, the sensation that someone had been watching them clawing at the back of his neck.
Nyx had fallen asleep while they fed so they laid her down atop the bed now covered with their cloaks.
"Elder!" The duo had also noticed!
"Yes, I felt it too. Since the Progenitor isn’t fully awakened yet and her vessel, weakened from poor care, we’ll leave at dusk. Staying longer than that will compromise us. Beatrice, send word to the Monarchy, tell them we’ve found her; The One Above All!"
