“Thank you master, your services have been most helpful.” Constantine bowed to the witch, who licked her lips. “Sergius, please pay the master.”
Constantine poked Sergius on the side to bring him back from his trance. Sergius pulled a small pouch from his tunic and dropped it in the corner where Constantine was pointing. A few gold coins escaped the pouch, but neither one bothered to retrieve them. The image in the cauldron slowly blurred away, and Balbinus dropped her head to her chest.
“Are you back Balbi?” Constantine purred to the witch.
“I hate when you call me that,” she hissed. “I hope you found what you needed.”
“Fisherman’s Inn in Naples,” Constantine replied.
“You figured that out from that image?” Sergius asked, looking between Constantine and the empty cauldron.
“Constantine has a perfect memory, little one, and he never forgets a single place, or person for that matter. Isn’t that right, dear?” Balbinus asked, picking up the bag of coins.
“Tools of the trade,” Constantine replied. “Thank you for your service, but we better be going.”
“Kill them all, Constantine,” Balbinus told him.
“That’s the plan.” Constantine headed out of the cave, followed by Sergius.
Outside of the cave, Sergius asked, “Why does she hate them so much?”
“Vampires turned her only brother against his will. Balbinus had to kill him before he killed their family,” Constantine answered, searching the ledge of the cliff. “Balbinus hunted that vampire for decades, but too many people had been converted to vampires in her village. Her family was butchered while she was hunting.”
“That is awful.” Sergius glanced back towards the cave.
“She takes pleasure in eliminating vampires whenever she can, which is the reason she helped us,” Constantine added.
“What are you expecting to find at this inn?” Sergius asked as he stretched his legs.
“Anything,” Constantine admitted. “Right now, all we have are dead leads, no pun intended.
“A fresh one would be nice.” Sergius looked down the cliff at the sharp rocks below. “Guess we are climbing down?”
“Not this time.” Constantine pointed to a pile of furs in the corner. “We are sliding down.”
Sergius walked over to the furs and found a long rope underneath. Sergius smiled at Constantine as he dropped the rope down the side.
“I like going down much better than up.” Sergius grabbed Constantine and place him in the back of his tunic.
Without another word, Sergius repelled down the side of the cliff and towards their boat.
Chapter 5
The port of Naples had as much traffic as many of the major ports in the empire. Vessels were constantly entering and leaving the city. Many boats carried legionnaires or supplies to many locations across the land. Stories of unrest and civil wars were escalating, and in return, the empire sent more troops to many of the major cities and ports. Constantine and Sergius paid for passage to Naples from a fisherman near Rome. They hoped to avoid dictation from the vampires by blending in with the regular population. The fisherman was eager to agree. He had a horrible season due to the high winds and deadly storms. At least he would return home with money in his pocket just by bringing a strange young man with an angry cat.
Constantine and Sergius arrived at the port late in the afternoon but didn’t leave the boat until the middle of the night. The least amount of people knowing of their arrival the better. The plan was to gather as much information as possible on their enemies and return to Rome to prepare a plan. Fortunately for the two friends, Fishermen’s Inn was a short walk from the port, and Constantine led the way through dark alleys and rat infested side streets.
“I was under the impression Naples was a magnificent city.” Sergius scurried around a rat the size of a small rabbit.
“Naples is a beautiful city, but not this part.” Constantine swatted a few rats that refused to move out of his way. “This is where men fall prey to sins of the flesh, as your dearly departed apostle called it.”
“Did you meet any of the apostles?” Sergius asked as they scurried across the alley to the back of a two-story building.
“Yes, a few.” Constantine looked up and down the street. “I admired their commitment and focus, even though they all knew it was a suicide mission. But that’s a tale for another time.”
“Why am I not surprised you knew them?” Sergius told Constantine.
“I have been around for a long time and have met a lot of people. Now is not the time to discuss that, though. Stay focused.” Constantine motioned towards the building next to them. “This is the building. You are listening for information. Don’t ask too many questions.”
“Got it.” Sergius adjusted his tunic and headed inside the Fishermen’s Inn.
The main floor of the Inn was a large tavern. Wooden tables littered the room but few patrons were still around. Sergius walked slowly towards the back of the room, keeping his head low and breathing steady. He found a small table in a corner and sat down.
“What can I get you?” a young maiden asked with a wide, toothy smile. She was curvaceous with curly red hair. Her face was average, but her other assets made up for that, attracting the attention of the patrons.
“A large Calda if you still have it,” Sergius answered casually while looking around the tavern.
“Not any more. All we have is Posca.” The smile was gone from the Maiden’s face as she waited for Sergius to reply.
“In that case, bring me two. If you have any bread and fruits, could you bring that out as well?” This time Sergius gave her his undivided attention and placed two gold denarius Aureus in her hand.
“Of course master, as you wish.” The maiden pocketed the coins and scurried back to the kitchen.
“That’s a lot of money for a young fellow,” a large man with a silver beard told Sergius from the next table. “These are dangerous times.”
“Then it’s a good thing I’m not traveling alone,” Sergius replied, bowing his head to the stranger. “Our master sent a group of us down to find entertainment for his upcoming party. I figured he wouldn’t mind if I feed myself after doing all his dirty work.”
“The patricians and their parties.” The man spat on the ground in disgust. “They are the reason the empire is falling apart. They deserve what is coming to them.”
“What is coming?” Sergius lowered his voice and looked directly at the man.
“You will see. It’s only a matter time.” The man stood from his chair and his large frame almost touched the ceiling. “Enjoy the meal. Your master doesn’t deserve your service.”
Sergius observed the man as he exited the tavern. Two other patrons followed shortly after him. Only four people remained in the tavern, and that included Sergius. Two drunks laid motionless over their tables, while the remaining patron ate his food quietly.
“Here you go, master. Will you need anything else?” The maiden placed a glass of wine in front of Sergius large enough for two people.
“Thank you, this will be enough.” Sergius smiled. “Are you normally this slow?”
The maiden’s gaze scanned the tavern, a nervous look passing over her face. “People are afraid to come out at night lately. You never know who you will find.”
“I believe that.” Sergius struggled to pick his glass up without spilling the drink
The maiden gave him another close-lipped smile and left his table. She made her way around the tavern, wiping down tables and picking up empty plates. Sergius finished his drink but ignored the rest of the food.
After an hour, the tavern remained empty. Sergius left quietly and headed straight to the alley where Constantine waited.
“That was a waste of our time,” Sergius announced as he reached Constantine.
“But not for us.” The two patrons that had left the tavern dropped down from the roof.
Sergius tried to scream but the
tallest of the men slammed him to the wall, knocking the air out of his lungs. The duo moved with a quickness that made Sergius’ head hurt. Sergius kicked and punched, but his assaults never landed. The duo laughed at his failed attempts. The first assailant picked Sergius by the neck and pinned him to the wall.
“You will make a delicious meal for our master this evening.” The man opened his mouth and his jaw stretched to a size that wasn’t humanly possible. Canines and teeth appeared as large as sharks’ teeth.
“Too bad he already has plans for the evening.” Constantine pulled the vampire off Sergius.
Sergius dropped to the ground, wrapping his hand around his throat while trying to breathe, and when he glanced up, Constantine had turned into a large lion and was ripping the vampire apart. No blood flew anywhere, but the vampire turned to dust that dropped to the ground and flew through the air.
“I don’t know what you are, but your friend here is going to die.” The second vampire reached for Sergius.
Sergius rolled to his side and landed next to a pile of tools. He grabbed the closest one to him, a scythe, and scratched the incoming vampire across the chest. The vampire did not evaporate into dust, but the assault stopped his approach.
“This is not over,” the vampire hissed and leaped over the building.
“Are you alive, Sergius?” the lion asked.
“Constantine, please tell me that is you?” Sergius watched as the lion shifted to a cat-sized Constantine.
“Wow that is incredible.” Sergius leaned down to touch Constantine’s fur. “How did you do that?”
“We don’t have time to explain, and get your hands off me.” Constantine slapped Sergius away, who was still trying to pet him. “Did you recognize those two?”
“No, they were in the tavern but left shortly after I arrived. I never learned who they work for but they looked normal.” Sergius dropped to the ground and rested his head against the wall.
“They work for the Senator of this region. You didn’t recognize them as vampires?” Constantine walked over to Sergius and peered at his face from inches away.
“What are you doing?” Sergius tried to back away, but he was pinned between Constantine and the wall.
“We have a problem. If you are not able to recognize them, you are as good as dead.” Constantine hopped off Sergius and marched out of the alley. “What are you waiting for? Let’s go.”
“Besides being attacked, we didn’t find anything.” Sergius struggled to get to his feet.
“But we learned high members of the Senate have vampires as employees, and might even be vampires themselves. That alone is a lot of information. We need to hurry.” Constantine rushed out of the alley. “A ship is leaving out of here before dawn, and we need to be in it. You should bring your new weapon. I have a feeling we are going to need it.”
Sergius grabbed the scythe and ran out of the alley behind Constantine. He was a limping a little but not enough to slow him down. Constantine did not waste any time hiding in alleys. Instead, he took the main road to the port and out of the treacherous sector.
Chapter 6
The dim light of the candle in the living room was the only light on in the house. Sergius and Constantine sat on opposite sides of the living room, each lost in their own thoughts. Rome was crawling with legionnaires, twice as many as normal. Unlike Naples, it appeared citizens were encouraged to be out at night. The streets were full of people and nobody seemed concerned with the current state of the empire.
Sergius and Constantine sprang to their feet at the sound of the backdoor being opened. Sergius pulled out of a knife from his toga. Constantine had ordered him to start carrying one for protection. Constantine’s claws were fully extended. They each took a position on either side of the door, waiting for the intruders quietly.
“Hey, what is wrong with you two?” the young man screamed after being pushed to the wall by Sergiu, and after Constantine bit his leg.
“Nico, what are you doing here?” Sergius let go of Nico and walked back to his seat.
“Constantine, do you mind letting go of my leg?” Nico looked down at Constantine, who was still latched on.
Constantine squeezed one last time and walked away as well. Nico followed them into the living room and took a seat.
“How did you know we were home?” Constantine lunged back on his seat and made himself comfortable.
“I have been coming around the house every night. I wasn’t sure you would be home, but I was hoping.” Nico took a deep breath and dropped his head against the back of the chair.
“What’s happening?” Sergius asked.
“The city has gone mad,” Sergius muttered.
“What else is new?” Constantine replied, not looking at Nico.
“They are looking for you two.” Nico closed his eyes.
“Who?” Sergius jumped to his feet and pace the room.
“The legionnaires,” Nico mumbled.
“That’s unexpected. Why?” Constantine turned to look at Nico, his ears straight up.
“People are worried about all the questions you’ve been asking.” Nico opened his eyes to focus on Constantine. “Nobody understands your business, but they are worried. To make things worse, people are saying that vampires have infiltrated the legions and are making decisions against their enemies.”
“Now that makes sense,” Constantine told both men.
“What part of that makes sense?” Sergius stopped pacing and walked towards Constantine.
“These vampires seem highly organized, well trained, and as if they have plenty of funds to run their operations. How else could they pull this off?” Constantine settled back in his chair and started his grooming ritual.
“That’s not all.” Nico faced Sergius. “Marie is missing. Nobody has seen her in three days.”
“What?” Sergius rushed to Nico’s side. “Tell me everything you know. What happened?”
“Sergius, please come down,” Nico replied, his voice trembling. “Marie had been asking a lot of questions as well. She left the market for lunch and never came back. When I checked with her father, she never made it home.”
“This is all my fault.” Sergius was back to pacing the room, this time faster. “I told her to stay out of this. Why doesn’t she ever listen?”
“Marie is just as stubborn as you are. She doesn’t follow orders from anyone,” Nico told Sergius from his chair.
“Our little friend has a point,” Constantine told Sergius. “Once Marie sets her mind to something, nobody can stop her.”
“Thanks Constantine but you are not helping.” Sergius looked out the window. “We need to find her.”
“Don’t you dare leave this house,” Constantine growled at Sergius. “If Nico is correct, the city is crawling with legionaries turned into vampires, and they are all looking for you. You stay here and I’ll go looking for information.”
“You can’t expect me to do nothing?” Sergius’ face was bright red and his nails were digging into his fists.
“I expect you to be smart about things.” Constantine jumped down from the chair. “You are not going to find Marie or be of any use to her if you are dead. Start thinking and stop being emotional. Nico, anything else we should know?”
“Maybe, but this can’t be true.” Nico scratched his head before continuing.
“What can’t be true?” Constantine hopped back on the living room table, looking Nico straight in the eyes.
“The rumors around town all mention that the bloodsuckers are working directly for the Emperor,” Nico replied softly. “Some believe that the bloodsuckers are working as the Emperor’s personal soldiers.”
“This could complicate things.” Constantine sat on his hind legs. “If they have access to the Emperor, their power and reach could be endless. Nico I need you back on the streets, let me know if you hear anything else. Sergius, tomorrow morning you, need to get in touch with your contacts in the city. We are going to need a lot more apprentice
s.”
“On my way Constantine.” Nico saluted Constantine and ran out of the living room.
“Let me change these clothes and I’ll be on my way as well.” Sergius walked past Constantine as he headed towards his room.
Constantine grabbed Sergius by the leg with his claws. “Not in the middle of the night, foolish boy. Didn’t you hear anything I say? I need you start doing that in the morning, while the sun is out.”
“What difference is it going to make?” Sergius looked down at Constantine.
“It’s bad enough having legionnaires looking for you, but adding vampires is a nightmare.” Constantine let go of Sergius. “Try to sleep. I will go do some scouting tonight.
“How come you get to go out?” Sergius pouted and crossed his arms.
“Nobody is looking for a stray cat roaming the city. They are looking for a man and a cat. If we are separate, they are going to have a harder time finding us.” Constantine smiled at Sergius. “I will take the night, and you do the day. We have to be smart here.”
“I don’t like it.” Sergius dropped himself on the chair vacated by Nico. “Do you have a plan?”
“The two of us are not enough to take on an army of vampires, and we need help,” Constantine told Sergius.
“We are going to need a lot of help,” Sergius agreed.
***-***
Constantine left the cottage to start his recruitment mission. He didn’t trust Sergius to stay home and mind his own business. Not only did he have connections with many of the humans in the city, but he also knew every four-legged creature in Rome. He left a dozen stray cats watching the house, each in a different location. Their orders were simple: If Sergius left the house, they followed him. If anyone entered the house, they were to contact him immediate. Constantine couldn’t watch Sergius all the time, but he could assign the work to very reliable sources for only a few fish. Paying felines for their services was a lot cheaper than humans.
With Sergius under surveillance, Constantine made his way to all his usual spots. He started with the innkeepers and tavern owners. He checked for any former soldier or slaves from any other countries who were looking for work. Their replies were always the same: Nobody was willing to risk their lives for a lost cause. The new comers to the city had heard rumors of the vampires’ recruitment process and what happened to those that disagreed. Even those with nothing to lose were terrified to get involved. Fear was a great tool for control.
Queens of Wings & Storms Page 45