Blood Reign

by Harvey W. McCarthy

  Screams from both sides echoed through the lavishly decorated hallways. Warriors grunted and bled from repeated vampire strikes. However, their deaths were infrequent. For every warrior that became the reluctant meal of a vampire, four vampires died attempting to feed. The warriors pushed their way through the hallways towards the secret underground passage. Vampires would leap from hidden passageways and strike. They were quickly surrounded and struck down by the intensely focused council warriors. General Scott was pleased.

  The hidden passageway to the underground lair was at the end of a large, dining hall. Like the days of the Old West, a large group of vampires had decided to make it their Alamo. The large dining table, that been in the center of the room, had been turned over onto its side. It made an impressive roadblock for the charging council warriors as it stretched from one side of the room to the other. Before long the warriors were bottlenecked like a mid-morning traffic jam. They could barely move as their masses filled the room. The vampires waited until the warriors were close enough to grab before they struck. They pulled the virtually defenseless frontline warriors over to their side of the large table. Screams ensued.

  General Scott was furious. He could hear the screams of his dying comrades. Vampires held the line as their companions tore through the armored warriors. Blood sprayed everywhere. Limbs were savagely ripped from bodies. Warriors screamed for help. The vampires taunted them by tossing the limbs and disembodied organs, often still quivering, into the throng of warriors. Their anger grew and they became more and more reckless. More warriors would leap into the tight horde of vampires only to meet the same fate of their allies.

  "Fall back and regroup!" General Scott ordered.

  The screams and the clashing of the warring factions had made it impossible for anyone, except for the warriors next to him, to hear his commands. The rapidly deteriorating battle continued. More and more warriors were dying. The vampires were winning. The tide had changed.

  "FALL BACK! THAT'S AN ORDER!" General Scott bellowed.

  More warriors retreated into the hallway. It was a slow process which exposed the backs of more and more warriors as they also attempted to retreat. A group of vampires had waited for this moment. They threw gasoline onto several warriors and then tossed a firebomb into the crowd. The emptied wine bottle, half filled with gasoline and a soaked cloth, shattered on impact. The soaked warriors and the others who were nearby were immediately engulfed in flames

  Smoke filled the room. Warriors coughed as the toxic fumes filled their lungs. The stench of burning fabric and flesh nauseated those warriors who were affected by the fumes. Warriors rushed to their dying allies' aid and they too became victims of the vampires. When they tried to stop the spreading flames, vampires would reach over and grab them. Moments later, they were amongst the dying as their throats were shredded.

  "This is stupid," a warrior exclaimed.

  He pushed his way through the crowd. They were backing away from the flames. He continued to push forward. He grabbed a retreating warrior by the shoulder and spun him around.

  "Grab anything that is burning and throw it at them!" he exclaimed. "Pass it on!"

  The warrior nodded. He ripped a burning stake from a dead warrior's corpse and threw it into the laughing horde of vampires. The burning stake struck home and the vampire burst into flames. His fellow warriors, after seeing his success, risked being burned themselves as they began to hurl everything that they could grab into their enemy's stronghold. Soon, vampires were rapidly dying.

  "SHATTER THE WINDOWS!" General Scott ordered as he pushed his way through the crowd.

  Chairs flew through the windows. Glass shattered on both sides of the room. A strong crosswind, while helping to fuel the flames, helped to alleviate the effect of the smoke. More vampires burst into flames. The smell of rotting burning flesh intermixed with the smoke. The warriors, while nauseated and struggling with smoke induced illnesses remained focused. Moments later, they were passing the barricade.

  As the warriors broke through their defenses, vampires poured from the secret passage. Several of them carried fire extinguishers to quell the fires. However, the warriors realizing their advantage killed the vampires and controlled the fire. The vampire reinforcements held off the warriors momentarily, but soon the warriors poured through the passageway and into the depths of the vampire tunnels. General Scott led the charge.

  The underground lair was a series of confusing twists and turns. The intricate series of passages consumed several warriors as they broke off from the main group. Their screams echoed through the dark, damp stone walls. General Scott assumed that these tunnels predated the ancient structure above them. He concluded that these series of tunnels were probably created by the vampires to hide from the council or to move freely from one building to another during the morning hours. Another scream told him that they needed to rethink their strategy.

  He held up a hand and his warriors stopped. He motioned to his forehead. They reached for their equipment belts. They all put on their headlamps. Slowly, one after another their lights clicked on.

  "I don't like this," a young warrior standing next to General Scott said. "It gives them a bigger advantage to…"

  A scream cut him off. A warrior disappeared from their ranks. However, the light from his headlamp lit the way to the vampires. Immediately, a group of warriors followed. More screams could be heard. Grunts soon followed. Bodies could be heard slamming into unseen objects as the warriors faced off with an unknown group of assailants. Seconds later, there was silence and their warriors could be heard returning.

  "That is why I will take the risk," General Scott said confidently.

  The warrior nodded.

  Skirmishes continued throughout the tunnels. Warriors died as well as vampires. With the headlamps providing paths to the abducted warriors, the vampires lost their advantage of surprise. Eventually, vampires were spotted prior to their attacks and they were chased through the tunnels. Sometimes the warriors ran into a trap and they were butchered. On one occasion, a group of warriors dashed ahead when a vampire was spotted. When the rest of the warriors caught up with them, their disemboweled bodies hung from the walls like horrific hunting trophies.

  Unfazed, General Scott pushed his warriors deeper into the tunnels. He ordered his warriors to stay as one group and not to pair off as usual. The vampires knew these tunnels. Despite being severely outnumbered, the vampires were in familiar territory. He knew that his warriors would continue to die if they separated.

  "Archers report," he said as he pressed his finger to his ear.

  "Holding steady," the leader of the team stated.

  "Fleeing vampires?"

  "Negative," the leader stated.

  "Hold position," General Scott stated.

  "Affirmative," the leader replied.

  If they aren't going out, then they are going deeper or hiding, he thought. It leaves us with one choice. He motioned his fingers twice and the team broke into a full sprint. He knew that if the vampires were not heading up then they were moving towards an unknown location. That location could be another ambush or they had a way to flee from the tunnels. Either way, they had to catch them and catch them soon or they would lose their chance at the queen.

  The team moved swiftly and found very little resistance for several minutes. Due to their sheer numbers, any vampires were quickly killed. Deeper and deeper they went into the tunnels. If they turned off their headlamps, they would be in the horror of complete darkness. As they ventured deeper and deeper, the air became still. It reeked of rotting flesh. General Scott turned to a warrior who nodded.

  They are close, he thought.

  The lead warrior held up his hand. The team crouched. The warrior on point listened. The large team of warriors could hear noises. They were not sure whether or not they were hearing voices. The lead warrior stood and he ventured down a tunnel to his left. The team rose as one and followed. The sounds became louder and louder. The air becam
e damp and heavy. The stench of rotting flesh had induced vomiting from several members of the team. The team pushed past their ailing warriors and progressed to a set of ancient doors.

  General Scott moved to the front of his group. He traced his light over the many carvings in the door. His face was grim.

  "These doors are centuries old," he said softly.

  The sounds that they had been following were still inaudible, but they originated from beyond the door. The doors were thick and reinforced. Strips of iron were fastened along its edges. Marks on the door told stories of warriors reaching this point and not progressing any further. The nauseating odor of rotting flesh told the likely story of their fate. General Scott knew that his warriors would suffer the same fate if they could not venture beyond this point.

  "Your thoughts, General?" a warrior asked.

  "Call the demolitions team. Unlike our warriors of centuries ago, we have a special key for this door," he said.

  "C-4?" the young man asked.

  The General smiled.

  The young man pressed his finger to his ear to activate his headset. However, before he could say a word, the doors slowly parted. The ancient hinges squeaked loudly. The noise was painful to the ears. The warriors pressed their backs against the damp, moldy walls of the tunnel. They grabbed their crosses and their stakes. Several dropped to the ground as they expected a hail of projectiles, but nothing happened. The doors continued to open. The screech, which sounded like an animal wailing in agony, had finally stopped.

  "Enter," a male voice said.

  The young warrior looked at his leader. The darkness of the cave and the glare from his headlamp hid the concern in his eyes. General Scott looked at his warrior.

  "Be ready," he whispered.

  The warrior nodded.

  The group of warriors cautiously entered the room. Their steps echoed. General Scott knew that the room was cavernous. Each step was repeated dozens of times. Despite their slow pace, the echoing sounds resembled soldiers marching loudly in a parade. Each step was joined with laughter. Before long, General Scott didn't know up from down or his left from his right. He held up his hand and his warriors stopped. As if on cue, the entire cavernous room was lit by blinding spotlights.

  The warriors cringed and squinted against the blinding lights. General Scott put his hand above his head to shade his eyes. He, like his fellow warriors, had turned off his headlamps. The echoing sound of the lights being turned still thumped in his ears. His head throbbed painfully from the stress of the battle and the sudden burst of bright light in his eyes. Colors danced through his vision as he tried to focus on any humanoid figures other than his warriors. He could see nothing other than the blinding lights in his eyes. His heart began to thump in his chest. Evil laughter echoed his thumping heart.

  The lights suddenly shut off. As the bright spots continued to fill their vision, they were soon replaced by the terrifying sensation of pure darkness. The cavernous room was pure blackness. Several warriors held their hands in front of their faces and they could not see even one finger on their black gloved hands. The warrior, to General Scott's left, turned on his headlamp and the beam of light fell on the beautiful face of Mikhaeli Lanaova. He screamed.

  "Oh please," she scoffed, "I know that I am not ugly."

  She snapped her fingers. The room was illuminated. Unlike the previous assault on their eyes, these lights were along the ceiling. Mikhaeli smiled. The room was just as spacious as General Scott had expected. It was large and round. It looked as if it had been carved out of the earth many centuries ago. Tunneled passages were everywhere. The vampires could be anywhere, but none, other than their queen, could be seen. However, it was the room's other occupants that disturbed General Scott: Skeletons.

  Bones littered the floor. Articles of clothing, many centuries old, were everywhere. Human skulls were lined up along a wall like trophies. Mikhaeli had a skull in her right hand. She held it up. It rested against her flat of her hand. She kissed it softly before casually tossing it over her shoulder. It shattered on the stone floor. She smiled again.

  "The vampire queen," General Scott said with a sneer.

  Mikhaeli smiled. His warriors began to stir but he held up his hand. Their target was only a few feet away but he knew to be cautious. The black leather clad vampire queen strutted back and forth in front of the throng of warriors. Her black leather high-heeled boots clicked loudly on the stone floor. Each click echoed loudly. The sound bounced from wall to wall. She smiled again.

  She turned and faced General Scott. "Michelle," she corrected.

  "I know that is not your real name," he scolded.

  "It is too!" she squeaked.

  "According to our archives, you were first reported in Russia. We concluded long ago that you are of Russian descent so your name wouldn't be Michelle," he said confidently but cautiously as his eyes never left the beautiful vampire.

  "But," she said as she rubbed her hands over her partially exposed breasts and down her hips, "It is so sexy."

  General Scott grimaced. He could hear murmurs amongst his male warriors. He glanced to the shorter warrior to his right and his eyes were completely transfixed on the vampire queen. His eyes were almost glazed over. He looked to his left and the warrior was wiping his brow. He turned back to vampire. He shook the thoughts from his head as the vampire bit down softly onto her index finger. She giggled.

  He shook his head again. "Enough of these games," he demanded.

  She pouted. "Don't you like little ol' me?" she asked. Her voice mimicked that of a young girl.

  "I do," a warrior said.

  She giggled again. General Scott's face turned bright red. More murmurs broke out amongst his warriors. He removed his cross from his belt and strutted forward. He put it directly in her face.

  "In the name of the L…"

  Mikhaeli never flinched. She grabbed his wrist and held it firmly. She pulled his hand closer to his face. Warriors gasped audibly. She traced her teeth with her tongue before kissing the edge of his hand. General Scott was paralyzed. Fear was consuming him. She looked at him longingly as she traced the tip of her tongue along the edge of his cross. She went up one side and down the other. She slid her mouth over the top of the wooden cross. She slid her mouth down and back up again. Her skin sizzled but she didn't stop. When she finished, she licked her lips. She shivered.

  "Ooooo," she cooed, "I like it."

  "W…Warr…"

  A warrior charged forward. Her vampire face appeared and she hissed. She held out her hand and the warrior stopped. He grabbed at the invisible hand that squeezed his throat. She swung her arm and the warrior flew to his left. His body cracked as it hit the stone wall. Blood leaked from every opening in his body as he slumped to the floor. He continued to breathe for a brief moment before his chest became still.

  She turned her attention back to the still stunned general. She squeezed her hand and his wrist shattered. Bones snapped and the pain dropped the warrior to his knees. His warriors looked on in stunned horror as their respected leader fell.

  "Leave it to you to ruin my fun," she hissed. "I guess I will have to find something else to entertain me."

  She snapped her fingers and the sound echoed throughout the chamber. Laughter ensued. The warriors looked left and right. The laughter grew louder. Mikhaeli smiled as she continued to squeeze the fallen general's broken wrist. She dragged him backwards as the laughter grew louder and louder. It echoed so loudly that dozens of warriors dropped their crosses and stakes. They pressed their hands to their ears to silence the horrific sound.

  The laughter stopped. Vampires, thousands of vampires, poured into the cavern. Every tunnel, including the one where the warriors had entered, was blocked by the undead. The warriors were surrounded. They stood back to back. They readied their stakes and their crosses. Some of them grabbed their vials of holy water. Their eyes darted back and forth from one vampire to the next. The warriors backed up as more and more vampires ent
ered into the room. Within minutes, they were completely surrounded. Their only hope, if there was any hope, was to fight. It was their only way to escape.

  Mikhaeli retained her vice-like grip on General Scott's wrist. If he tried to break her grasp, she'd twist his wrist slightly. A bone burst through his flesh. The pain caused him to yield. She continued to pull him along. Her minions parted as she pulled him through the crowd. The vampires began to murmur as they could smell the blood that leaked from his broken wrist. When they reached the far side of the cavern, she pulled him up a set of crudely made stairs. His head slammed into one of the stairs and stars filled his vision. A trickle of blood dripped between his eyes as she continued to pull him along. When they reached the top of the stairs, she released her grip. Two stone chairs waited at the top of the crude stairs. She smiled at him.

  "Sit," she said sweetly.

  "I don't take orders from you," he said before he spat in her face.