The Black Knight Box Set

by Christian J Gilliland

  13:00 - Canruusi Wastes

  “So, you are a High Vampre then?” Ema’as asked as Daanel drove the truck through the Canruusi Wastes. Up to that point, he had mostly been silent, “You have gone through the Thirst already?”

  “A very long time ago, love,” he beamed a glimmering smile at her, “or at least for me it was a long time ago.”

  “How old are you?”

  “Younger than most of the other High Vampre," Daanel confessed, “I was turned back in 302. At the time, I was twenty years old.”

  Ema’as thought it over for a moment. “So, you are sixty-four years old then?”

  “No," Daanel snickered gently and showed off his pearly white teeth, “Sixty-four. How old are you?”

  “Nineteen," Ema’as replied, “I was turned just a few days ago.”

  “Nineteen…” Daanel repeated, “Oh to be young again.”

  “But you don’t grow old," Ema’as observed, “Aren’t you always young?”

  Daanel smiled and shrugged his shoulders. “I suppose in a sense, yes that would be an accurate statement. Tell me, were you turned by a High Vampre or simply exposed to the Thirst?”

  “It was another Thirst stricken Vampre,” Ema’as explained as she pulled her tarp closer, “His name was Yarik. He and I escaped Eon… our captivity together and ended up here.”

  “Interesting, what became of this Yarik?” Daanel asked.

  “I killed him,” Ema’as confessed, “He was a creep.”

  “Reason enough, I suppose,” Daanel shrugged again and kept his eye on the terrain ahead of them, “So, humor me, do you have any idea where we might be going?”

  Ema’as had been wondering that since she first got in the truck with him. She saw only the seemingly unending wastes and had no idea where Daanel could have been going. Yarik had tried to get them to the coast so that they could get to North Barus and hopefully find sanctuary. Ema’as continued that quest, though she had no idea how close to the ocean they had gotten.

  “Are we going to North Barus?” She asked. Daanel shook his head and shifted in his seat.

  “A logical assumption, though no we are not. I suppose now that I am your master, I can tell you a bit about myself and what I do. I am one of Canrom’s few High Vampre. Being among the youngest of my clan, I am by no means an authority to anyone but fledglings like yourself. My role in my clan is to find people like you and bring them to the council, that they may be judged worthy or not.”

  “Worthy?” Ema’as repeated, “Like, worthy of joining your clan?”

  “No, child.” Daanel replied with a hint of a smile, “Worthy to live.” Ema’as’ face lost its color, and she held her tarp tighter. She, of course, hoped that she would be judged worthy of living, the thought of being murdered seemed like a terrible conclusion to everything she had experienced.

  The truck rolled over a hill to reveal more wasteland. As far as she could see, Ema’as saw the ruined plains of Canrom and wondered if she would ever leave that place. She had heard stories of things like beaches and cities and forests but as far back as she could remember she had lived in the Canruusi Wastes. Her life had always consisted of traveling from camp to camp plundering and killing as she did.

  She could skin a person a hundred different ways and knew thousands of uses for any kind of trash that anyone else would typically walk past without a second glance. While she had always yearned for more than the life she knew, she had no idea what “more” even meant.

  “We are nearly there," Daanel informed his new underling, “They will be eager to meet you.”

  “How many of you are there?” Ema’as asked.

  “There are six High Vampre in my clan,” Daanel explained, smiling as he did so. “There were seven until a few years ago when one decided that she wanted to live a mortal life again. There are a” couple dozen or so normal Vampre, three others like you and twelve familiars who we use for feeding... as well as roughly seventy or so Humaans who we coexist with. The familiars are treated well, much better than a few of the other clans.”

  “How many clans are there?” Ema’as was interested in learning as much as she could. If they decided that she was worthy of staying alive, she wanted to know as much as she could.

  “In Canrom or all together?” Daanel asked, seeking clarification.

  “Let’s start with Canrom.”

  “In Canrom there are four Clans. There is mine here in the wastes, one down near the Izla’Axi border, one on the East coast and one in Canrom City. Mine is the smallest of the Canruusi clans, but we have King Graham, so we are without a doubt the most powerful.”

  “King Graham?” Ema’as was intrigued. Daanel had made him sound like he was the strongest of them all. The idea of being able to meet the most powerful High Vampre in Canrom was an exciting thought. She sat and thought for a moment about her new life, about the implications of being under the protection of a clan of High Vampre. She hoped she would be judged worthy.

  "And here we are," Daanel announces as the truck came to a stop. He shifted the vehicle in park and threw his door open, looking expectantly at Ema'as, "Well, come on then!"

  Ema'as was confused. There was nothing there, and they were alone in the middle of the Canruusi Wastes. There were no structures or people in sight as far as she could see.

  "Are you fucking with me?" She asked in a tone that dripped with suspicion. Daanel flashed his pearly white smile and gave her a wink.

  "Perhaps if you are deemed worthy," he flirted. He reached into a pocket on his vest and produced a small fob with three buttons on it. He clicked one of the buttons, and suddenly Ema'as heard the roar of a motor starting followed by the sound of hydraulic arms engaging. Ema'as looked around to find the source of the noise and saw that part of the ground was moving.

  The sand and ground shifted, and Ema'as watched as a circular portion of it slowly began to rise. Daanel walked toward the rising structure, and Ema'as finally opened the door to her truck and stepped out. By the time she had rounded the front of the truck, the ground had raised about seven feet in the air, revealing a metal cylinder with a door that faced them. Daanel stepped forward, pressing another button on the fob and the door slid open.

  "Behold," Daanel proudly proclaimed with a look of awe and wonder, "The Silis."

  "The what?" Ema'as asked. She wasn't exactly sure why she was supposed to be impressed, "It's just a door."

  "A door indeed!" Daanel proclaimed, "A door to the greatest and most powerful piece of technology on this planet. Step inside, learn, and embrace your destiny."

  Ema'as stared at Daanel from the corner of her eye as she followed him past the door and into the cylinder. The tiny room lit up as they entered and the door slowly closed shut, sealing as it did so. After a moment, a screen appeared on the curved wall, and Daanel reached out and tapped a button. A mechanical whirring sound could be heard, and Ema'as felt the room begin to descend.

  "Long ago, before the Humaan people arrived, we reigned supreme on this planet," Daanel recited passionately, "Ours was the greatest power that this world had ever seen. The kingdom of the Vampre, the vast empire that it was, spread all across the globe. The other races bowed before us, the Elves, Faire, and Lycaani. We were their masters for we held the power."

  "When the Humaan people came from the stars, they brought a swift end to all that we had created. Everything we had worked for vanished; our empire was dissolved seemingly overnight. You see, in the Age of Blood as it is called, power was a simpler concept. We Vampre have a natural affinity for strength; when we come into our true form, we cannot be bested by any of the other races. Or so it was until the Humaan people introduced technology. The guns, the NaNe, they leveled the playing field. No, they gave the other races the advantage. Our amazing speed, accelerated healing, undying bodies, and immense strength were once all we needed to rule this world. The Ancients held us down with their power; they kept us from rising again. Now, they are all nearly gone, and our return is nigh." />
  "Our return?" Ema'as repeated. She looked over at Daanel who stood calmly still despite the apparent enthusiasm behind his words.

  "We will retake Duraan; we will put ourselves in our rightful place as its masters." Daanel clenched his fist and glanced over at Ema'as, "It is our right by blood, and once we unite the clans and build our armies, we will be able to stand against the Govian Empire... with the Silis, we will be able to truly reign Hell down upon them."

  "So what is the Silis?" Ema'as asked. The cylinder they were in finally came to a stop, and Daanel grinned.

  "Let me show you."

  The door slid open revealing a short gray walled hallway. The ground was white and glossy and cylindrical lights mounted to the walls illuminated the area. Daanel led the way, and Ema'as followed closely behind, staring in wonder at her strange environment. She had never been in a real building before, especially one with electricity. Daanel reached a pair of twin doors at the end of the hallway and looked back at Ema'as.

  "Hold your breath, make a wish... count to three," He eagerly said as he hovered his finger over a control panel, "This is truly something." He pushed a button, and the hydraulic doors slid open. As Ema'as stepped through, her eyes grew wide with wonder.

  They stood on the walkway of the top level of a gigantic structure, something she could never have dreamt of existing. The other side of the room she was in had to have been at least three hundred feet away. Each level below her had a walkway that wrapped all the way around the rectangular room, and the edge of each walkway glowed with a dark blue light, doors were evenly spaced every twenty feet or so.

  Ema'as ran up to the guardrail and leaned over for a better look. She watched in amazement as a dozen or so spherical robot things with outstretched appendages flew through the vast expanse before them. There had to have been at least fifty levels beneath her, and as she focused her eyes, she saw that the bottom had a floor of bright green grass, beautiful fountains and buildings arranged in a grid.

  "What... is this?" Ema'as could barely hold her excitement, "Is this a city?"

  "This is the Silis, the only ship that the Humaan people left behind," Daanel reached out and placed his hand on Ema'as' back, "This is a vehicle that can fly up in the sky and to other worlds Ema'as. What you see here is only one section, this ship has ten areas like this. It is indeed, as you asked, a flying city."

  "Why would they leave something like this behind?" Ema'as turned to Daanel, "Why didn't they use it when they left?"

  "The ship’s main engine is in pieces. It was being repaired when the Sin wars began. The captain and a small crew of two hundred others remained behind to complete the repairs. We have watched the video archives, learned what we could understand. When the bombs began to fall so long ago, this ship was targeted by the Church. It, of course, had energy shields that protected it from the blasts, but the hundreds of WMDs that were dropped on it covered the ship in debris, halfway burying it. The Church thought the ship destroyed and over time, and due to the lack of people in the wastes for so many years, it was eventually forgotten and completely buried. Its original crew died out; their children followed. Eventually, there were only a handful of people left aboard, people who only knew stories of their home's past and who had never ventured outside out of fear of the unknown. One young man and his sister, descendants of the captain himself, finally escaped nearly forty years ago. That was when Graham discovered it."

  "Did they survive?" Ema'as asked, "The young man and his sister."

  "The young man did, yes," Daanel smiled as he led her down the walkway, "He is alive and well today, no thanks to Graham."

  One of the spherical robots floated up to Ema'as, and she jumped back. A small plane of blue light emitted from the robot and shone against her body from head to toe. The sphere lingered for a moment and then zoomed away.

  "What is... what are those things?" She asked, looking to Daanel.

  "Caretakers," Daanel answered, following it with his eyes as it trailed off into the distance, "They clean, kill bugs, repair lights and such. It just scanned you to make certain you were safe; it looks for diseases that could harm a Humaan."

  "This is all... just so much more than I could have ever imagined," Ema'as marveled, shaking her head in disbelief as she did so, "I really hope you guys don't kill me. I want to learn and see more."

  She felt a sudden, sharp crampy pain like a dagger in her stomach and recognized that she needed to feed. As she grabbed her abdomen and keeled over, Daanel stepped up to her side.

  "Hungry?" He asked, casually. Ema'as groaned out a noise of affirmation, and Daanel gently raised her back up.

  "There is a familiar nearby, come, let me take you to her room so that you may feed and be refreshed before you meet with the clan." Ema'as nodded, and Daanel grabbed her hand and led her down the walkway.

  She could feel a headache rapidly coming over her as she walked. The stabbing pain in her stomach intensified and her mood was quickly becoming sour. They walked for a few minutes before Daanel stopped in front of one of the doors.

  "She is in here," Daanel informed her as he reached out and pressed a button on the keypad. The door slid upward, and he gently pulled her inside.

  The walls of the cozy studio apartment were a brilliant white. A single half sphere on the ceiling bathed the place in a soft white light. Comfortable looking furniture decorated the interior, and a plush grey rug was spread out over the floor. A petite violet haired female Faire in a blue dress was in the kitchen on the other side of the room and turned to face them as they entered.

  "Hello Daanel!" she chirped with a sweet sounding and high-pitched voice, "I was not expecting you! I'm sorry for the mess! Have you come to feed or something else?" She wore a mischievous smile, and her eyes turned toward Ema'as.

  "Oh, well hello to you as well!" She approached and curtsied before Ema'as, "I am Asandra, Madame of the familiars here. You are a new face; I love meeting the new Vampre!"

  "She is enduring hunger pains Asandra," Daanel explained, "Are you available to host her while I prepare the clan?"

  "Well of course!" A delighted Asandra stepped up and gently grabbed Ema'as' upper arm, "I am always happy to help!"

  "Very good; she needs to feed very soon. You will be okay, right?"

  "Of course, silly!" Asandra giggled as she waved Daanel away, "You go on and leave us girls. I will take good care of her, I promise!"

  Daanel nodded and turned to Ema'as, smiling, "Asandra is our best. The only rules we have are not to let her drink from you and do not harm her. Other than that, please relax and enjoy yourself," he turned toward the door but stopped as he reached or for the keypad, "Oh and Ema'as?" She looked over at him, his head was turned, and he was looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

  "Do not worry a great deal about what is to come. I have a good feeling about you," Daanel pushed a button on the keypad, and the door opened. He walked through, and a moment later he was gone.

  "Well now," Asandra warmly smiled as she stepped in front of Ema'as, "Let's get you fed dear, no need to keep you waiting!" She reached behind her and pulled a string on her dress, allowing it to fall to the ground, revealing her naked body beneath.

  "What are you doing..." Ema'as asked as Asandra led her to a large plush bed with red sheets. She helped her sit and smiled as she sat down next to her.

  "Darling, I am here to make certain you are taken care of!" Asandra explained, "Feeding, as you may have experienced already, is a sensual and usually erotic moment for Vampre. It is my job to make sure all your needs are met as they arise. Please, eat, relax and enjoy yourself."

  Ema'as felt slightly awkward about how easy it all felt. She thought back to her feedings before and how they had been violent or unwelcome. Her desires had led her to consume entire bodies and to force herself on poor Camber. She, for a moment, stared at the entirely willing familiar and was a loss at what to do.

  "I don't want to hurt you," Ema'as explained as she felt herself b
egin to salivate, "Are you sure you..."

  "Darling child, do not worry about me," Asandra squeaked out a dismissive laugh and ran her fingers through Ema'as' hair, "Let's get you well, do you prefer neck, legs or wrists?"

  "What do you mean, like to drink from?"

  "Of course, silly!" Asandra teased as she gave Ema'as shoulder a light squeeze, "Pick one and drink, hurry before you go feral!"

  Ema'as looked over Asandra’s body and inadvertently licked her lips. She looked down at the Faire's naked thighs and then to her wrists. Both looked appetizing, but she ultimately decided on her neck.

  Asandra moved her violet hair out of the way, and Ema'as leaned in closer. As her fangs unsheathed, she looked up at Asandra and gently planted them into her skin. Hot, fresh blood gushed from the holes and into Ema'as mouth, sending a wave of warmth all through her body. Asandra made a sound as Ema'as drank, she could not tell whether it was groaning or moaning, so she pulled back.

  "Am I hurting you?" She asked as Asandra's eyes opened. Asandra shook her head and smiled.

  "Far from it, honey," she snaked her hand through Ema'as hair and palmed the back of her head, pulling her mouth back to her throat.

  "Here, love, sit on top of me," Asandra instructed her. Asandra laid her head on one of the pillows and Ema'as obediently straddled her. Asandra smiled, and as Ema'as leaned in to feed again, the familiar placed her hands on her back and began to massage her tired muscles.

  "Oh, I do hope you stay," Asandra whispered as Ema'as drank from her. She placed her hands on the Vampress hips and pulled closer, Ema'as followed her cues and began to grind against her. She stopped drinking for a moment to breathe, and her hands began to move across Asandra's body, yielding little chirps of delight from her.

  "Things have not been the same since Amaria left. I am tired of all the boys; we need some more ladies around here." Asandra pulled Ema'as mouth back down to her neck, and as she began to feed once again, she gently slipped her hand into the front of Ema'as' pants.

  "Give in, lovely girl," Asandra coached her, "Pleasure has become the center of your life now. Let me guide you."