Loyalty

by Charles E Yallowitz

  3

  Clyde and Mab come out of the vertical shaft covered in cobwebs and poisonous spiders that they casually wipe off. Instead of knocking on the metal door in front of them, the vampires search the floor for hidden handles. Lifting the stone cover off the real entrance to Gregorio’s lab, they hold it over their heads and jump in at the same time. With the opening sealed, the pair are plunged into darkness and expect to quickly land in a dimly lit room. Instead, they hit an icy slide and are sent flying through a tunnel that steadily narrows. Bumps in the ground knock them into the ceiling, which is covered in a thick slime that sticks to their bodies. They are gradually pressed together and wonder if they are about to be crushed into paste until they abruptly slam into a moss-covered wall. Falling a short distance, Clyde lands on his feet with Mab perched on his shoulders, both of them too stunned to move an inch. It is only the sight of experiment-covered tables and the pungent odor of alchemy supplies that snaps the dazed pair out of their trances. The instant they breathe a sigh of relief, a blast of water erupts from the gratings beneath their feet and washes them clean.

  “Who dares enter the lair of Gregorio Roman the . . . Oh, it’s only you,” a frail-looking gnome says as he steps out of the shadows. Placing tinted glasses on the tip of his bulbous nose, the bald vampire lights a small torch that illuminates his entire lab. “Looks like I need stronger lenses because that still hurts. Could go outside more often too, but I hear it’s cold and there are bears. You know, neither of you talk to me about staying in my lab for so long that even moonlight hurts my eyes. I’d apologize for the robe and slippers, but I don’t care. When you get to my age, appearances are no longer important. Not that I remember my exact age. So, how goes the war?”

  “We’re not winning, but I think there’s more important things to discuss right now,” Mab answers, nudging her head towards Clyde. She frowns when the ancient vampire merely yawns and fixes his dark red robe in a way that briefly exposes himself. “I’m not the one to ask about it anyway. Xavier tells me only what I need to know for my own missions. I can only go back my brother’s scars lately. We’re on a job now to uncover traitors and kill them. By the way, do you have anything to say to Clyde?”

  “Haven’t heard that name in a long time,” Gregorio states while rubbing his chin. A squeak causes him to hurry over to a table where a mouse is navigating a booby-trapped maze. “I’m trying to see if mice can learn from the mistakes of others. The rest are watching from the cages over here, but they’re more interested in breeding. Now, you mentioned my favorite son who hasn’t come to visit in the last fifty years. He requests a special weapon from me, goes off to get in trouble with one of our greatest enemies, and never returns. Not a note or a telepathic message or even a birthday snack from the ungrateful idiot. I’d give him a piece of my mind if he was here, but the fool would probably put it in his stomach instead of his skull.”

  “Fine, I made a big mistake and you were right that I should have stayed away from that orb,” Clyde blurts out. His presence finally acknowledged by his maker, he is forced to stand completely still while the gnome examines him. “As far as your other complaints, I’d have visited if I wasn’t buried along with Durag’s temple. You had to have known that since Mab would have visited you before going to Xavier. I’m here now though and I promise to come back after we get this job done. Can I have that sword?”

  “Sorry, I don’t think I recognize you.”

  “Stop goofing off, old fang.”

  “The rudeness is familiar, but my son would still have some manners.”

  “Nadia says hi if that helps.”

  “Knowing my daughter doesn’t mean anything.”

  “For the love of everything bloody, you want a hug.”

  “Well, it’s been fifty years.”

  Clyde sighs before embracing the gnome, who slips out of his arms and swiftly jabs him in the wrist with a thin finger blade. Not wanting to be interrupted, Gregorio casts a paralysis spell that locks his son in place for a few seconds. The younger vampire shrugs off the magic, but remains where he is and patiently waits for the examination to be over. It is not until he notices that Mab is nervously tapping her foot that he remembers he has a pulse. Even though the gnome is calm, Clyde knows that his secret has been discovered and prepares himself for what he fears is the inevitable. To his relief, the first thing that happens is a chair of bones walks over and he gets to sit down while the finger blade is twisted further into his flesh. Mab perches on the edge of a lab table, which violently bucks her onto an approaching couch that is as soft as a cloud. A marble pedestal that ends at a clawed foot hops over to deliver a punch bowl of blood with dented cups floating inside the thick liquid.

  “First, I still think that necklace is ridiculous. Don’t care that you stole it and earned the friendship of your slightly better half,” Gregorio says while removing his nail from Clyde’s wrist. Wiping his hands clean, he takes a cup of blood and holds it over a candle. “Second, I want you to be careful. Not only with your enemies, but with your friends as well. The three of us do not talk of this with anybody. I can give you a ring that will mask your deformity even if someone sees through your illusions. With any luck, this goes away in a week. Though, I doubt Cessia is on your side considering what has already happened to you.”

  “Can you slow down for a minute?” Mab snaps while she watches Gregorio check his experiments. Waving the pedestal away, the burglar tries to stand and finds that she is stuck to the couch. “Anger-activated sticky cushions . . . cute. I agree that we need to keep this a secret, but you’re taking this situation far too well. Clyde is a vampire with a pulse and he’s stronger than ever. He should have come out weaker, no offense, but he didn’t. What if he’s starting to become mortal or something worse? Can you explain any of this?”

  “You forgot to mention that I can make my own blood,” Clyde adds as he reaches for a nearby bowl of fruit. Claiming an apple, he takes a bite and freezes for a moment before swallowing. “Not sure why I did that. Tastes really good and I’m not feeling bloated like vampires are supposed to. Seems the stomach works too. Mab probably has a point, old fang. I may have come to check in and get that sword, but I’m thinking answers are much more important.”

  Gregorio casts a fire spell that erases a failed experiment before returning to his guests. “I have no idea what happened beyond the fact that the Great Cataclysm did it. The only way for me to come up with real answers is if you stay here and let me run tests. I doubt Lord Tempest and my more huggable child would allow that without an explanation. Leave some of your blood here and I will do what I can, but all I can tell you now is that something has changed. Not a very shocking revelation, but it’s all I have. Are you becoming mortal? I doubt it if you are stronger than before. Is it permanent or temporary? Only time can tell because this is unprecedented. Will I give you the sword? No because I have an idea to give you a better one. Does Mab owe me a supply run for being snippy? Yes, but I’ll settle for a hug and some of her hair for another experiment.”

  “Just admit your lecherousness for once,” Clyde mutters, his disappointment in leaving empty-handed written on his face. Finishing his apple, he empties the fruit bowl and slits his wrist to let his blood pour inside. “I don’t know when I’ll be able to come back. Something tells me that stopping by after this mission won’t give you enough time. From what Mab has said, Xavier will keep me busy once I pass his loyalty test. That means I’ll be stuck in Nyte and on the road a lot. To be safe, don’t try to send me any messages and I’ll come back if I discover any more changes. Sorry that I can’t stick around, old fang. You know I would if I could since we have a lot to talk about.”

  “Not really,” the gnome replies with a grin. Taking the bowl, he sniffs at it while putting it on a cleared table. “You’ve done nothing except wander around a hole in the ground for fifty years while I’ve been tinkering in my lab. I received about one hundred visits in that time, but most of those were from this one. N
adia stopped coming once I changed my security two years ago. She didn’t appreciate the slime. Beyond that, neither of us have anything worth talking about. I’m sure whatever happens in the future will be much more interesting, my son. You know what? Give me an hour and I can have that sword ready for you. That way you stop pouting and I can clear some space in the back.”

  “I thought you had an idea for a better one,” Mab interjects after she gets away from the couch. She catches a playful glint in the ancient inventor’s eyes and feels a knot grow in her stomach. “Please don’t get us in trouble. Xavier wants this to go smoothly and I’m sure an explosion would be frowned upon. Not to mention I really hate regenerating skin after severe burns.”

  “In that case, give me three hours and I’ll need Clyde’s pants.”

  “What?” his guests say at the same time.

  *****

  Scratching at the rusty ring on his finger, Clyde leads the way through a clump of dark blue trees. The vampires stay low and watch for signs of traps, which are disturbingly obvious considering they are closing in on what is supposed to be a secret lair. Coming to a natural wall of thick trunks, the pair are forced to head south and constantly check for a hidden door. Nothing gives way or proves to be an illusion, which leaves them frustrated at having to sacrifice fifteen minutes heading in the opposite direction from their target. The barrier ends at a river that they are about to step into when Mab hisses and points at a collection of glowing holy symbols beneath the surface. A faint mist rises from the surface and brings tears to their eyes until they move away. In order to avoid the trap, Clyde picks up his partner and silently leaps over the purified water. He lands on the far shore and immediately jumps back to reach the other side of the trees. Placing the burglar down, he bows and waves for her to take the lead as an apology for the manhandling.

  Mab only makes it a few steps before a chill runs up her spine and she crouches at the edge of thick shadows that have no visible source. Drawing a dagger, she laces it with her own blood and flicks droplets at the pool of black. Tendrils rise to absorb the ichor and the burglar watches to see how far the ripples go to mark the trap’s range. She waits for a minute to see if anybody comes to investigate, but the forest remains silent and still. Mab makes a running leap to clear the shadowy ground and grabs a branch to swing herself even further ahead. She rolls to the side to avoid Clyde’s landing, which never happens due to her partner casually jogging around the trap instead of showing even a hint of caution. The pair exchange a series of rapid hand motions to relay their annoyance with each other’s tactics, the conversation ending with matching smirks.

  Not finding any other traps, they swiftly make it to the last line of trees and find themselves staring at a cabin. There is smoke billowing out of the chimney and they can see silhouettes in the windows. Red moonlight and a single torch are all they have to work with, so the pair can only guess as to how many enemies they are facing. The snap of a twig causes them to duck back into the shadows an instant before a vampire couple comes around the far side of the ivy-fringed building. Carrying armloads of firewood, the male and female calico are relaxed enough to let their pale, cat-like tails swish behind them. Both stop to sniff the air while their tufted ears twitch at the thought of intruders. Peering into the darkness, they are stopped by a voice shouting inside and the door opening with a bang.

  “I expected a cave or something less rustic,” Clyde whispers as he slips his hand into his pocket. He feels the edge of his new weapon sitting within his enchanted clothes, but decides to save it for an emergency. “Weird that they’re gathering firewood during the summer, but they could be cooking. I don’t know how far we have to go with investigating. They’re obviously staying away from the rest of us and there are holy defenses around. Do you think the Duragians trapped them here and are using them? I mean, it doesn’t sound like a plan I would do, but you’re the expert right now.”

  “The thought crossed my mind since I see holy sigils on the walls,” Mab replies as she nods her head at the cabin. Pulling her jacket tighter around her body, she takes a step forward and magically blends into the shadow of a beech. “Maybe we can turn invisible and sneak inside to listen. It’s a risk since they’d be expecting that. With everything going on these days, vampires live and die on their ability to either fight or hide, so invisibility spells are common. We could barge in and grab someone for questioning.”

  “Nothing says fun like interrogating while running from a pack.”

  “It looks like I can sneak in from the side.”

  “There’s someone looking out that window.”

  “Definitely paranoid and hiding something.”

  “Mind if I treat you like luggage again? I mean, you have the hydra-skin jacket, so it isn’t much of a stretch.”

  “Oh, you’re just daring me to respond with sass now.”

  Flashing a fang-baring grin, Clyde picks Mab up in his arms and takes his time judging the distance to the cabin. When the figures in the window appear to turn towards each other, the vampire jumps into the air and kicks off the nearest tree. He uses enough strength to knock the towering maple over, the loud crash hiding the sound of them landing on the roof. Sliding down to the back of the cabin, the thieves separate and lie flat against the rough slats while listening to their targets come out to investigate the noise. Counting voices, they tap each other on the arm to see if they have the same number. Seeing that they are disagreeing by one, they agree to play it safe by going with the larger estimate. A shout from inside has them mouth the same curse, their hope that the cabin would be emptied cruelly dashed by the angry person who is only a few feet beneath them.

  “It was probably a bear scratching its back,” a vampire says from the front door. Unlike the others, the man stays outside and a faint trail of pipe smoke rises above the eave. “I don’t care because I need to take the edge off. Then don’t talk to me if you’re afraid someone is out here. It isn’t like any of our voices can get out of there. Even the boss has to shout to get through that itchy barrier. Yeah, I’m still complaining because these holy spells are uncomfortable. Not to mention the herbs we have to take to avoid igniting are disgusting. Go slower because I can’t read your lips when you’re being dramatic.”

  “I said that you should get in here before the boss comes out to rip your head off,” a woman replies with a growl. She coughs a moment before the clay pipe is thrown over the cabin and gets stuck in a tree. “You can get it later. We’re three days away from going through with our part of the plan, so we need to make sure we’re ready. Stop being difficult and making the rest of us more nervous than we already are. I brought you into this mission as a favor, which means my head goes rolling if you screw up. The boss is upset enough that we haven’t heard from our friends for the last week.”

  “Okay, okay, I’ll head inside,” the man replies before knocking twice on the patio railing.

  “Damn it,” Mab mutters, deciphering the signal immediately.

  Before the burglar can signal a warning, Clyde moves to the front of the cabin and carefully walks along the patio roof. With a grin, he punches through the wood and grabs one of the vampires by the head, his grip driving his fingers into the man’s skull. Once he feels someone grab his flailing target, he yanks the couple through the hole and jumps to the ground. Holding the man and woman by their faces, Clyde grins at the twenty enemies that swarm out of the cabin. As the growling horde charges, he tosses his struggling shields into the air and catches them by their spines. Using the pair to block spells that sail out of the windows, he waits until the others are close enough for him to lunge into the pack. Smashing the two dead vampires into the ground, he frees his hands to bat three enemies away in one blow and punch through an undead elf’s chest. As the shriveled heart sails into the trees, the body twitches and turns to dust, which drifts throughout the chaotic fight. Wanting to destroy the holy sigils on the cabin, Clyde hurls stolen weapons and body parts through the wall until the invisib
le barrier appears and bursts like a bubble.

  Creeping to the edge of the roof, Mab waits for an opening before dropping to the ground and decapitating a vampiric halfling. Remaining on the outskirts of the battle, she tries to focus more on crippling than killing. When a legless vampire pounces on her back, she gives up on capturing a prisoner and gracefully slashes at anyone within reach. Minutes pass with the enemies refusing to retreat or surrender even though the burglar swears they have eliminated at least fifteen enemies each. Jumping into the trees to avoid an axe-wielding half-elf, she looks to where Clyde continues tearing people apart with relative ease. Faint movement on the far side of the clearing causes her to climb higher until she gets a full view of the area. Mab barely makes out the forms of vampires continuously emerging from the surrounding shadows and darting into the mob. Their silent and crouched approach make it impossible for anyone to notice their arrival unless they are above the action.

  “More are coming from the forest!” Mab shouts before diving back into the fray. Growing longer claws, she slices off limbs and pokes out eyes while trying to get closer to Clyde. “We need to escape and come up with a new plan. Stop fighting because they’re going to overrun us eventually. Be smart like you used to be instead of bashing away like some barbarian. What happened to the guy who always had a plan?”

  “I need a hat,” Clyde replies, prompting Mab to jump and land on his head. With a low growl, his body seems to emit a red steam an instant before he punches the ground and knocks all of their enemies off their feet. “Okay, we surrender! You guys are obviously too much for us since that didn’t kill anyone. Seriously, that was my best shot and I’m barely able to walk. Just look at how my legs are wobbling. Having her stand up there like a blood-dripping weather vane isn’t helping any. So, is this going to be an execution or an interrogation? To be fair, I’ve experienced the first option and it didn’t take.”