Age of the Gods: The Complete, twelve novel, fantasy series (The Blood and Brotherhood Saga)

by Laszlo,Jeremy

  Like a force of nature Anna launched herself across the room, moving at impossible speeds. She spun on her toes as she slid to a stop before the door into the tavern proper. Raising her hands she showed the women whom she had thwarted the two knives she had managed to pick up off a prep table halfway across the room. Fear showed in their eyes. Anna preferred the fear over pity. Turning again she drove the blades of the two knives through the wooden door and deep into its frame, effectively nailing it shut. The women began to scream for help, but all Anna heard was music. Music played to the steadily increasing rhythms of their hearts. A moment later the door behind her began to shake and rattle as someone tried to get in, assuring Anna that it was secure and she could take her time.

  Smiling, Anna danced across the cobblestones, her bare toes barely touching the floor with each step. She leapt towards Rachel, the woman her eyes had fallen upon. Rachel was a cook, the prettiest in employ at the tavern. She was a confident woman with blonde hair, blue eyes and a body that every boy and man in Traiven appreciated. Now she would be Anna’s. As Anna landed in front of Rachel, only a few steps between them, her victim tried to retreat. It was unfortunate for the poor girl, for stepping backwards she plowed heavily into one of the large cooking pots suspended above a fire. Such was the blow to the pot that it swung violently into the wall behind it. Hitting the wall the huge pot splashed boiling soup onto the cook who screamed out and clutched at her arm where it had been burned. Worse than that, the front chain of the pot, having become slack for an instant, managed to unhook itself and, as the pot swung forward once again, it spewed its contents onto the floor.

  Rachel wore but linen booties upon her feet so as the scalding fluid pooled and splashed onto the floor, it instantly saturated the linen, melting and boiling the woman’s flesh. Screaming in agony, the injured cook tried to flee, but taking a step, her flesh peeled away from her foot exposing meat and bone. The pain was so intense that she collapsed into the pool to endure the torturous pain a thousand fold over much more of her body. None the less, Anna needed to taste her blood, if nothing else to see if a more beautiful woman tasted better.

  Screaming as the flesh blistered and cooked on her body in too many places to count, Anna dragged Rachel from the harmful liquid, her own feet seemingly spared. Thinking this an act of kindness, two other women in the room ceased their panicked screams and attempts to escape to watch in wonder as Anna extracted the woman. A second later they resumed their screams as Anna plunged her teeth into Rachel’s neck, sealing her lips to the milky white flesh of the fair skinned woman that so many men lusted after. Anna was again overcome by pleasure, but to a lesser degree. Rachel’s blood was indeed different. It was saltier, warmer, and Anna could literally feel the adrenaline seeping into her as she drank, her own heart beginning to beat faster. Again the longer she drank, the stronger she felt. The other women in the room huddled together, half sobbing between their screams for help. A loud banging sounded at the back exit, and was repeated at the other door. Those in the tavern had realized that something was locked in the kitchen with the women. They were franticly trying to get in. Anna would not have enough time to enjoy each of the women as she would have liked. She began to hurry, sucking harder upon Rachel’s neck wound, but only until the beat of her heart stopped.

  Unsure how much time she had, Anna did not discriminate when choosing her next victim. Snatching the newest addition to the kitchen next, a small brunette named Faun, Sara punched the woman in the head with such force that bones crumpled beneath the blow, destroying the woman’s jaw and knocking her unconscious. It took less than two minutes to suck her dry. Her own heart did most of the work, in fact. Better than that, Faun’s blood tasted much like Hilda’s, and brought the same sensations as well, and within the short two minutes Anna spent with her, she had an orgasm again. This time her body shook with pleasure, convulsing occasionally as the bliss became too potent.

  Two short minutes later and Anna was forced to bash another woman and drag her away from the others. Feeding upon this one nearly brought her to climax as well, but unfortunately, much to Anna’s disappointment, the other women in the room with her had gathered some courage between them. Just as Anna’s hips began to roll for the third time in the day, a searing pain exploded in her back, a little below her shoulder blade. Turning her head she watched as the cook named Marcy extracted a knife from her, and attempted to stab her yet again. Then more pain burst from her arm on the opposite side, out of her field of vision, forcing her to swing her head around. Anna was under attack by the remaining four women. Each brandished a knife. Anna leapt from Marcy’s body, pushing aside the ecstasy she had experienced a split second before. Lunging in she caught her fellow bar wench, Sandy, by the arm. With a twist and a shove, Anna listened as the bone snapped and Sandy screamed out in agony, the knife dropping from her arm to clatter upon the floor. To make sure the other women got the message, Anna picked Sandy up by her throat and flung her at Trisha, a short woman with dark curly hair. The two women crashed to the floor in a heap, each sobbing and sprawling, struggling to disentangle themselves.

  Anna’s third and fourth attackers attempted to flee back across the room from her, but Anna leapt after them. Striking them both with her own body and digging her fingers between the rib cages of both, they landed heavily upon their backs with Anna above them. Sinking her fingers in, tearing through the flesh, Anna closed her hands around a single rib of each woman. Grasping the bones she yanked hard with each hand, tearing a rib from each body in a shower of blood. Now time was really of the essence.

  Not wanting to waste their precious blood, Anna pulled the first woman to her feet. Tearing her dress and apron from her in a single swoop, she bit deep into the woman’s soft, fleshy neck. For just over a minute Anna suckled the life away until the woman’s heart stopped. Then Anna repeated the process. Without a single regretful thought, like an animal driven by hunger, Anna fed upon the women. Less than a quarter of an hour after Hilda had lost her life and changed Anna forever, every woman in the kitchen lay dead upon the stone floor like so many ragdolls tossed aside by an angry child. Yet the night was early.

  Still the doors at either end of the room banged and shook, and though no one had managed to enter yet, Anna realized it would only be a matter of time. Though she felt amazing, strong, invincible even, she knew not what her limitations were. She was aware only that the two knife wounds she had received had disappeared before she had finished feeding. Uncertain how much assault she could withstand and not wanting to be overwhelmed by those trying to enter, Anna decided upon a slightly different course of action.

  Lying upon the floor, covered in the blood of her victims, Anna waited for the rescuers. To make the scene slightly more realistic, she grasped her dress at the collar and pulled, tearing it wide open, exposing her perky young breasts and pink nipples. Smearing blood upon her milky skin, she lay down completely, and closed her eyes to set the scene.

  Anna waited for what seemed like forever, although it was closer to two hours before her pathetic saviors came. It was mid-afternoon when the men from the tavern finally bashed open the door that separated the kitchen and the inn proper. As it swung open, it was apparent that many were gathered beyond it as a collective gasp issued from the small crowd in response to the scene that awaited them in the kitchen.

  Men rushed in. Anna could smell them. Surprisingly their scent made her moist again, yet she struggled not to smile or move. A moment later someone smelling very tasty lifted her head and pressed an ear to her chest, right between her bare breasts. A thrill ran down her spine and goose pimples arose upon her flesh. “Anna is alive,” the man with his face pressed to her bare flesh exclaimed and instantly Anna recognized the voice. Gavin, the one boy who never showed her any attention, and the only one she ever fantasized about, had his face on her breasts. This was not exactly what she had imagined for their first date, but it would have to suffice.

  Still playing possum, Anna relaxed her body
as Gavin lifted her effortlessly from the floor, pulling her body to his chest as he held her in his arms.

  “I’ll take her into the tavern so she won’t see all this when she comes to,” he said, his body jerking from a motion he obviously had made with his head. Then he carried her out of the room, away from the mess she had made.

  Listening, Anna estimated there were about twenty people in the tavern, perhaps less, perhaps more. Twenty might be too many to handle. None the less, she had a slightly altered plan in mind now that she knew Gavin was here. Today he was paying her attention, and Anna intended to take full advantage of the fact.

  A few moments later Anna lay upon the floor of the tavern behind the bar, out of sight of any that might enter from the street. Her head rested upon Gavin’s lap, and honorable as he was, he had pulled her ripped dress closed to cover her exposed breasts. Anna hoped he found them to his liking. Still Anna waited, listening to the sounds of the tavern as she played at being unconscious. For near an hour she bided her time as people were dispatched to get the undertaker. He came with his cart and the bodies were removed. Several guests of the tavern had decided that the show was over and that they had better leave town before the thing that had butchered so many women in such a short time returned. The tavern was closed to new customers, though some remained to see if Anna would rise, in hopes of hearing her tale. It wasn’t until Gavin himself made mention of going to find Anna’s mother that she decided she could wait no longer.

  An hour before sunset Anna fluttered her eyes, trying her best to appear groggy. Then, as if focusing for the first time on the world around her, Anna screamed a bloodcurdling scream that echoed off the stone walls of the tavern. A dozen faces stared back at her, their mouths hanging open. Each person in the room wondered what trauma the girl had endured. Every one of them imagined the horrible beast that was responsible for slaying the staff of the inn. Anna fluttered her eyes again, looking around at those in the room with her, sizing each of them up.

  Deciding that she could easily handle them, she first needed to get Gavin alone. That might be a difficult task as the tavern only consisted of three rooms. The kitchen was not an option, as there would be no good reason for her to return there. That only left the privy.

  “I have to pee,” Anna stated somewhat quietly. Some who surrounded her grinned or smiled, yet others nodded their understanding. Gavin repositioned himself to help her stand. Assisting Anna to her feet, Gavin also rose at her side in case she needed his support. Perfect. As the people before her parted, Anna grasped her tattered dress, acting at being modest, and moved as if to take a step. Wincing as she put weight on her foot, Anna nearly fell with that first step and she cried out in pain. As expected Gavin rushed to her aid. Pulling her arm around his neck, he reached around her waist to support her. Together the pair moved slowly around the tavern, avoiding tables and chairs, towards the privy. Once at the door Gavin hesitated as if he expected Anna to enter by herself.

  “You can help me in Gavin, and then turn your back,” Anna said with mock modesty.

  Nodding, Gavin assisted the injured Anna through the door and across the small room to the wash bowl that earlier that same day Anna had cleaned her own blood from. This time, before Gavin could even turn away, Anna reached up. Grabbing her dress she pulled it from her shoulders and let it fall around her to the floor. Though she faced away from the man of her fantasies, she easily heard his gasp of surprise as she revealed her bare backside to him. Smiling, Anna whirled round to face him as she heard his heart begin to race in his chest. Grasping a damp rag within the bowl as she turned, Anna brought its dripping surface to her breasts and pretended to attempt to wash away the blood.

  “I really can’t see what I am doing here,” Sara sighed pleadingly. “Could you give me a hand?”

  Though the events of the day were so out of tune it was ridiculous, hormones being hormones, Gavin could not think of any reason why he should not oblige. As his blood shifted the course of its flow within his body, sending surprisingly even less towards his brain, Gavin took the remaining steps towards the young woman he considered his charge. Taking the rag from her, he began to wipe the blood from her breasts and neck. Only a fraction of a minute passed before two things happened seemingly simultaneously. First Anna’s nipples hardened, and then it appeared a shiver ran down her spine.

  Anna watched Gavin take up the rag and reveled in the feeling of him touching her skin. Her body responded lustfully. Her breasts were not the only thing getting wet. Without further delay, as another shiver ran down her spine, Anna turned predator again.

  Reaching up, Anna grabbed a handful of Gavin’s hair and pulled his mouth to her own. With her free hand she reached down to unclasp his belt. Moments later the two rolled upon the privy floor, lost in the pleasure they gave to one another. Unfortunately for Gavin, he was not as experienced as Anna had presumed. After mere minutes the boy reached climax and began to fade fast. It seemed Anna would have to reach hers by another means.

  Using her new strength, Anna put her hand upon Gavin’s face. With her middle and ring finger she grasped his boney eye sockets, careful not to damage his appearance. With her thumb she grasped the bottom of his chin and squeezed his mouth closed with her hand. Effectively silenced, yet unharmed, Anna sunk her teeth into his neck and lost herself in the deluge of hot bliss that escaped him. As he struggled beneath her, she clung on with her legs and rode him to his death. He had a lot more fight in him than the women she had dealt with earlier. Being such, she managed to climax twice. Releasing his face, Anna kissed Gavin’s still warm lips once more, before rising from his corpse and strolling out of the room. She was a vision of naked adolescent purity, if not somewhat bloodied. Those in the tavern who had been huddled together speaking, stopped as she strode into the room.

  Anna, naked for all to see, strode directly to the door. Pulling the hinged mechanism down, she barred it so that no one from outside could enter. Then grasping the metal bracket the wooden mechanism fell into, with inhuman strength she bent it over effortlessly, securing the wooden plank in place. None could get out, none could get in.

  Anna wondered exactly how much more powerful she could become in a single day. Already she found that her strength and speed increased each time she fed, at least to a degree. Prancing across the room as light as a feather, she danced among the tables and chairs, her young body looking perfect except for the blood that stained it. Those among the remaining inhabitants of the tavern watched in mixed wonder and horror as the young woman grew ever nearer to them. Each of them was still uncertain of what approached. None realized that it was death that danced across the polished stones of the floor. Not a single one of them retreated, screamed or panicked in any way. At least, not at first.

  Things took a dramatic change a moment later. Reaching the center of the large room, Anna spun to face the bar that everyone stood behind. They were all clustered together, watching her somewhat uncomfortably like a flock of sheep surveying a wolf. She moved; their eyes moved. However, Anna was already getting bored. Launching herself through the air, Anna leapt across what remained of the room to land upon the bar. She landed on all fours, crouching low with her legs spread wide, her hands grasping the back edge of the bar top, prepared to lunge again. Not even the most perverted of the men behind the bar ventured a look any lower than her eyes.

  Anna lunged. There were strangers in the tavern, the largest, a man in traveling leathers. Anna recalled seeing him earlier in the day. He had been kind. Now, however, he was the biggest threat, but also Anna wondered how much blood such a large man could contain. Striking the man bodily in the chest, as light as she was, Anna drove him backwards a few paces. Not wanting to be dislodged, as she struck Anna wrapped her arms about his head and her legs about his chest. Though effectively blinded, the man struck at her with his fists and smashed her into the stone wall behind the bar as onlookers yelled and fled towards the door. Anna felt one of her ribs shatter against the wall, but also f
elt as it mended a second later as she sucked the large man dry. He had barely more blood than Gavin, but Anna was beginning to make some distinctions. Men’s blood tasted more of iron and salt, whereas women’s blood was sweeter, and had less of a metallic tang to it. Those who were scared before she fed infused her with adrenaline which made the pleasure that much better, but the blood of those who were injured seemed to decrease the pleasure she felt consuming it.

  Anna made herself some rules. Seduce her food if possible. If not, then at least scare it before consuming it but injure it only if necessary. And lastly, try all varieties of her food, as variety was the spice of life.

  Realizing her chances of seducing anyone in the room were slim, as she lowered the large man to the ground, suckling the last drops from his throat, she grasped his lower jaw. Yanking with all her might she tore the jaw free. Holding the gory souvenir up to inspect it, she used her teeth to grab the flesh upon it and peeled it away slowly. Moments later, having picked most of the flesh off the bone, Anna smiled as she placed it carefully upon her head like a tiara. A woman in the room vomited. Wilson, the tavern’s owner, peed himself.

  Over the next thirty minutes Anna fulfilled her craving again and again until but two remained alive in the room with her. To maintain the level of fear in the room high enough to keep producing adrenaline, Anna had to continually up the ante with each kill. One man she sucked dry then ripped off his arm to bludgeon the next victim with. As for Wilson, she ripped the manhood from him and, shoving it down his own throat, she fed on him while he suffocated upon his own flesh. A woman she fed upon kept passing out, and time and again Anna was forced to rip off a finger or toe to revive her at least momentarily. These appendages she flung at the others. Repeatedly she murdered and maimed, all the while feeding and receiving pleasure in return.