Mikhaeli smiled.
CHAPTER 4
RUSSIAN EMPIRE C1796
Lady Mikhaeli had ruled her territory for over twenty years. The serfs had learned quickly that their unseen lord had become more vicious and more ruthless. Over time, rumors abounded about the death of Lord Viktor at the hands of an even more vicious ruler. Despite the changes to the Russian Empire imposed by Empress Catherine II, the 'dark lands,' as they were called by the people of modern-day Siberia, were still places to avoid. Even the rules imposed to encourage forums with the monarchy were ignored by the tenants of the 'dark lands.' They didn't want to upset their lord.
Empress Catherine II had become upset with Lord Viktor. His people had always observed the rules of the monarchy and she had maintained a special bond with the mysterious lord. However, during the last two decades, communication from Lord Viktor had ceased. She had dispatched several messengers to speak with Lord Viktor, but they had never returned and they were never heard from again. She had pondered conquering Lord Viktor's lands for her own, but she concluded that something must be amiss. In one last effort to re-establish their bond, she sent a royal envoy to meet with the mysterious lord.
As the Russian winter whipped into full force and darkness fell on the land, her royal envoy returned from their mission. They informed her that according to Lord Viktor's servants that their previous messengers had never arrived. They were welcomed warmly and they had spoken with Lady Mikhaeli who had assumed Lord Viktor's land after his death. She had referred to herself as 'Queen of the Land.' Empress Catherine immediately dispatched them to return with this so-called lady, but they gladly informed her that Lady Mikhaeli had decided to accompany them to visit with their empress.
Empress Catherine II sat on her throne in her capitol city of Saint Petersburg. Her royal guard had been dispatched to escort Lady Mikhaeli to her throne room. She waited impatiently for the woman to appear. She had many questions for the so-called queen. First of all, she wanted to know what had happened to Lord Viktor and why he had bequeathed his land to Mikhaeli and not to her. Also, she wanted to know why this woman dared call to herself 'queen' when the true empress still reigned.
The beautiful visage of Mikhaeli, dressed in the finest silks and leather, entered the throne room of the capitol city. Empress Catherine was not surprised that Lord Viktor had been taken with this young creature. She was indeed beautiful and she knew that Lord Viktor loved being accompanied by younger women. However, she could sense something dark and dangerous about this woman. She knew to be cautious.
Mikhaeli dropped to one knee and bowed. "You're Majesty," she said as she bowed, "I am truly honored and humbled."
"Arise," Catherine stated with disgust. "Couldn't you have worn more appropriate attire for a conference with me?"
Mikhaeli stood and bowed. "We left hastily, Empress. I wasn't prepared for a meeting with someone as regal as you."
Catherine raised an eyebrow. "You often dress in such a…lewd manner?"
She licked her lips seductively. "Sometimes the power of the seduction is more powerful than the sword. Don't you agree?"
Catherine nodded. "Yes, but your powers have no effect on me. The power of humility and grace would have been much more… effective."
Mikhaeli swayed as she approached. Her commanding eyes gazed at the powerful Empress of the Russian Empire. Catherine smiled as she approached. Mikhaeli extended her hand. As per custom, Catherine extended her right hand. Mikhaeli took it gently to kiss the hand of her ruler. A piercing pain shot through her hand and she backed away. Her high-heeled leather boots slipped and she fell. She bared her fangs and hissed as the agony continued. She looked at her hand. A crucifix had been burned into her flesh. She stared at Catherine who laughed.
"My dear," she said through her chuckles, "You don't get to be in my position without knowing your friends and your enemies."
The piercing pain began to subside. Mikhaeli stood slowly as her fangs retracted.
"Silver crucifix ring. Lord Viktor didn't like it either."
"How did you know?" she asked cautiously as she approached the empress.
"My dear, anyone controlling Lord Viktor's vast wealth would have to have been brought into his inner circle. When I heard reports that my messengers were not returning, I assumed that they had lost favor with or had infuriated my dark ally. When I learned that Lord Viktor had perished, I knew that my next visitor would also be a vampire."
"And you didn't try to stop me?" Mikhaeli asked.
Catherine stood. "Oh quite the contrary, my lovely friend, I wanted you here."
"For what purpose?" Mikhaeli asked cautiously. "To kill me for my land?"
Catherine paced her ornate throne room. "Again, quite the contrary. I wanted you here so I could continue the profitable partnership that I had begun with your sire."
"How do you know who sired me?" she asked.
Catherine strolled to a service tray and picked up a jeweled, wine carafe. She removed the lid and poured two drinks in two different wine glasses. One made of gold and the other made of silver. She sipped from the silver chalice as she extended the golden chalice to Mikhaeli. She accepted it with a curt nod.
"Lord Viktor was the most powerful vampire in all of Russia. He might have been the most powerful vampire in the world. I do not know. I do know that he had talked for many years about siring a queen. Whoever he had picked, he would have watched for years to find the person with the desire to rule with him."
"Then why wasn't it you?" Mikhaeli asked.
Catherine chuckled. "I am assuming that you mean why didn't he pick someone as ruthless as I? My dear, those qualities that I possess are evident. Just ask any of the serfs and lords who are beneath me. If they get out of line, my armies will crush them. Your qualities were latent and untapped. You were the meek and timid, beautiful farm girl. He knew that you were the one."
"You knew of me?"
"Oh yes," she said with a smile. "When you began to blossom into a young woman, Lord Viktor had his eyes on you. He told your masters to leave your family alone so you could be his when the time was right."
Mikhaeli sipped her drink. It was a beautiful wine, but not the blood that her body desired. "So for what purpose am I here now? Lord Viktor is no longer with us."
Catherine sipped her drink. "Are you not curious to our relationship? I am not the beauty that you would expect to attract Lord Viktor nor was I food."
"I am curious, You're Majesty."
"Viktor was my greatest general. He conquered my enemies. His coffers overflowed with my gratitude."
Mikhaeli smiled. "And you looked away at his other needs."
"As long as he wasn't feeding on my immediate needs, why would I care?" Catherine stated honestly.
Mikhaeli nodded. "But if he was so powerful, why not rule on his own?"
It was Catherine's turn to nod as she returned to her throne. "Yes, very astute for someone so young in vampire years. General Viktor had a vampire army that destroyed my enemies. Their traditional weapons could not kill them unless they used silver bullets. Most often my enemies are rebels. They are poor and cannot afford to use precious metals for armaments. General Viktor's victories were swift and ruthless. Fear of an attack by my armies soon kept my enemies at bay. Lord Viktor prospered under my rule."
"It still doesn't explain how you managed to keep him in line. I witnessed his influence and power."
"Viktor was powerful, but he was not the most powerful vampire to have ever walked the Earth. Have you not been in the library?"
"Yes, I have. My powers are growing."
"Ahhh," she said knowingly, "This explains a lot. You cannot translate the texts, can you?"
Mikhaeli was embarrassed. She looked away. "No, I have not learned all of the ancient languages."
"Do not be embarrassed. It took Lord Viktor many years to learn all of the ancient texts. Let me enlighten you about the Order of Twelve."
Her head snapped around for reaso
ns unknown to her. With an unexplained fire, she stared at her empress. "The Order of Twelve?" she asked. Her tone demanded an answer.
"This is a long story," Catherine stated honestly, "I recommend that you sit."
Mikhaeli nodded. She found a beautiful red satin chair next to one of the ornate pillars that adorned the throne room. She sat and crossed her shapely legs. Her eyes never left Catherine for the entire story. "Please continue," she urged.
Catherine cleared her throat. She sipped her wine. She swirled the reddish liquid in the silver chalice. The swirling liquid seemed to transfix her mind as she stared. She watched the wine intently as her mind seemed to be transported back in time. Her eyes became glazed as she spoke.
"The story of the Order of Twelve begins over a thousand years ago as Christianity continued to rise. Byzantine emperors favored iconoclasm which was the destruction of previous religious icons and monuments. It was an issue that divided many even within the same religion. The Christians believed it was an adherence to the Ten Commandments which forbade the creation and worshiping of graven images. However, twelve religious leaders did not agree and they met in secret to oppose the rapidly rising Christian movement.
"All the names of the Order of Twelve or their origins have always been clouded by a veil of secrecy. The Order of Twelve met secretly. Many believe that the Order of Twelve originated in England from the Germanic tribes that had settled there in the sixth century or the pagans that had invaded after the Romans left the island around the year four hundred. Whatever their origin, they had one goal which was to form their own religion.
"They created several ancient texts and translated the words into a language that only they and their followers could understand. Years passed and they continued to work in secrecy. The one thing that was certain about the Order of Twelve was the identity of their leader: Reverend Mordechai Blackraven. He is also noted as Cleric Blackraven. The origin of his religious background, if there is even one, is unknown. He is the only name referenced in the ancient texts. The other members of the Order of Twelve are only referenced by their vampire names."
"The ancient texts?" Mikhaeli pried.
"I will get to those momentarily. As I was saying, the Order of Twelve was creating a cult. Unlike many of the religions, they encouraged the attendance and participation of women. According to legend, The Twelve, as they are often referred, were originally The Six. The original six were men who recruited six more members; the six new members were all women. As you might expect, their recruitment wasn't for their free thinking ideals."
She saw Mikhaeli shift in her seat. "Please you don't have to spare any details."
"Since the Order of Twelve was looking to create a stir in the spiritual world. Their meetings would initially start with the creation their own doctrine and laws which have been scribed in the ancient tomes. However, when that wasn't enough to encourage the wrath of the other religious sects, they began to hold their own rituals: Sometimes in the very churches that they were trying to offend."
"Like what?"
"Sexual escapades on the church altars were their favorite rituals. In some of the ancient texts, they would even kidnap the head of the church to make him watch. Their wild sexual escapades were described in great detail. Legend has it that Lord Blackraven and a female member of the group nearly tipped over an altar from their vigorous efforts. Her screams broke one of the windows. Sometimes, they would lure young virgins to the church and sacrifice them to their new god."
Mikhaeli looked puzzled. Her glance at Catherine requested clarification.
"They were not murdered. They were no longer virgins. However, that still wasn't enough to offend God. They continued to press onward. They would find the answers that they sought."
"This was all led by Lord Blackraven?" Mikhaeli asked as she was becoming weak due to the lack of blood.
"Yes, Lord Blackraven wasn't content with his political protests. He decided to do something bold. Something that would make a real statement.
"He had planned carefully. Every detail was checked for accuracy. Several members of the cult didn't agree with his plan, but they didn't want to upset Lord Blackraven who had become mentally unstable. His plan was to break into a church and hold another ritual. He wanted to bring God himself before them to answer to their complaints. They stole several sacred texts from the various religious sects of the region. That part took months to complete. They found a central location on a full moon near All Hallows' Eve. They found two virgins. One male and one female and they tied them down with their arms and their legs spread wide. Legend says that you can still hear them screaming on All Hallows' Eve. The men had their way with the young woman while the women, as the legend states, enjoyed the young man. Still, nothing out of the ordinary happened.
"Frustrated, Lord Blackraven grew angry and he threw the religious texts onto their quivering naked bodies. He removed a sunshaped medallion, that he had crafted personally, from his neck and he plunged it into the young woman's neck. She screamed but her lungs soon filled with blood. Her blood covered Lord Blackraven. In his madness, he drank the blood as it sprayed into the air. Consumed by his own madness, he dove onto the young man and he ripped out his throat with his teeth. He drank the blood of the dying man. He screamed for the others to join. Fearing for their lives, they took turns ripping apart the bodies of the two young people.
"Drenched in blood, Lord Blackraven reportedly stood and screamed, 'NOW DO YOU FORSAKE ME?' The walls of the church shook. The legend states that not one, but two voices responded. The first stated, 'Yes, and thou shall never walk with me.' However, the other said, 'But I accept thee.' There was a flash of lightning and the church shook. All twelve members of the cult fell to the ground as the medallion began to glow. Their souls were trapped in the medallion but their bodies remained alive. They grew wings from their backs and fangs grew in their mouths. They were forever cursed to walk the lands.
"Their immortality came at a price. Though they would never age, they could never walk in the sunlight. They were forever a creature of the night. God had placed a curse on them before they could become minions of darkness. All of their other powers and weaknesses are described in the twelve ancient tomes."
Mikhaeli stood. "WHERE ARE THESE TOMES?" she demanded.
"Please sit. There is more to the story," Catherine urged.
Mikhaeli did not understand why, but she sat slowly. "Please forgive me," she said.
"They became the scourge of the lands. Lord Blackraven loved his new body. He felt free, but he soon learned that his freedom had come at a very dangerous price. The two virgins that they had sacrificed were the teenage twins of a prominent lord. He gathered clerics and soldiers to hunt down these new creatures of the night. Some say that this hunt had laid the foundation for the Crusades. Rumors abounded that the cult were the pagans which led the Christians to revolt against the pagans. Nightly they hunted the creatures. Many men died, but they fought on until they found methods that would eliminate the vampires. Lord Blackraven, despite his apparent insanity, was still a genius and he had his minions detail everything in the ancient texts. Eventually, the Order of Twelve, including Lord Blackraven, was hunted down and killed, but their order lives on."
When she said her last line, Catherine nodded at Mikhaeli.
Mikhaeli stood and started to pace. "How is it that you know so much about the Order of Twelve?" she asked suspiciously.
Catherine chuckled. "My dear, for balance in this world there is always an opposite faction. The men that set forth to eliminate the Order of Twelve called themselves 'The Council of the Light.' The light was a reference to God. As vampires still exist a thousand years later, so does the Council of the Light. You are looking at one of the members of the council."
Mikhaeli sneered and bared her fangs. She cautiously approached the empress who remained impassive. "So this was trap?"
"On the contrary once again, I am here to offer you the same things that I offered Lord
Viktor thirty years ago," she said impassively.
"And that is?"
"I need a General for my army."
Mikhaeli smiled. "What army?"
"The undead army that Lord Viktor commanded."
"So a council member of our sworn enemy uses us to protect her wealth."
"Yes. It is mutually beneficial."
"I risk my life and you collect the rewards."
"In simple terms, yes, but in my grand scheme, you have a much greater benefit."
"And that benefit would be?"
"The security of three of the tomes of the Order of Twelve."
"Security?"
"Yes, I keep the ancient texts in my locked vault in the catacombs. You protect me and I protect your interests. As long as the tomes are under my possession, then the council is appeased. If their location were to become unknown, then the council would put forth all of their resources to find them."
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