Necroscope 9: The Lost Years (50 page)

‘You could get me killed!’ Emil Hagisman protested. ‘Perhaps I’ve said too much already!’

‘And why have you?’

‘Something about your eyes, their penetrating stare. Or your open

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atitude … your “innocence”, perhaps? You treat me as a man, not as a slave. I suspect it’s because you are new to al this - ah, but you’l be a true Lord soon enough! Perhaps it’s because you have more than mere mentalism. They say that Rusha Basti is a beguiler, too.’

‘A beguiler? Hypnotism?’ Radu hadn’t realized it, not in himself.

There’s that in your voice that lulls,’ said the other. ‘It makes me weary and lures words out of me.’

Radu held him close and stared deep into his eyes, which were feral even as Radu’s own, but without his scarlet cores. Then say on, and tell me what I would know,’ he said.

And Emil Hagisman told him - or would have. But at that very moment one of Radu’s thrals came scrambling down from a high vantage/viewpoint looking northeast on the greater stacks of the Wamphyri. He was pointing back over his shoulder, gabbling, ‘Lord Lykan! There in the sky around one of the mightiest aeries: aerial warriors, and flyers bearing armoured men! They swarm even now, perhaps against us!’

In moments Radu and the Gust’s lieutenant had climbed up into a viewing niche, where they gazed out through a wide and jagged crack in the stack’s outer sheath, upwards and into the heart of the nest of sky-scraping towers. And in one sense at least Radu’s thral was correct: a swarm of men and creatures were massed about one of the central aeries. Except they were not descending from it, but atacking it.

‘Shaitanstack!’ Emil Hagisman gasped. ‘Shaitan, the Lord of Vampires himself, is under atack!’

Radu looked at him. ‘In two more hours I was to meet with him. Now … it would seem not!’

‘It was probably his invitation to you that started this going,’ the other told him, shielding his eyes from the northern auroras as he tried to identify the shapes darting around Shaitanstack.

‘Oh? How so?’

‘A distraction, of course. The perfect time to launch a pre-emptive strike! What, a reception in Shaitanstack? Why, the Lords are al busy pretying themselves up, not to mention the Ladies! Proud, aye! And Shaitan himself, proudest of them all: he’ll want his place to look its very best. Oh, they don’t get their heads together very often, these vampire Lords, but when they do … it’s a grand contest of words and gestures, poses and postures!

‘Al for me?’

‘For them! Half-hinted taunts and chalenges, threats and insinuations. They thrive on it. But at a reception: no weapons alowed. They can crow, preen and bluster al they like, and no harm done. Until later, possibly.’

‘You make them sound … what, like fools? Buffoons!’

‘Among themselves, so it would ofttimes seem - for they have each other’s measure, after al. Wel, more or less. But among humankind? Ah, no. Great bears play rough-and-tumble in the foothills of Sunside, and no harm done. But if they played with men like that, they’d break al of their bones.’ Emil saw something and pointed excitedly. ‘Ah,
see!’

Radu looked. ‘See what?’

‘More flyers going up … from Kirkscrag, Antonstack, and Wenskeep. Reinforcements! And look, a crippled flyer heads this way. It is one of Lord Ehrig’s creatures; I cannot be mistaken, for his sigil adorns its flank. Lord Shaitan’s enemies are … Kirk Nunosti, Anton Zappos, and Ehrig the Wen!’

‘Lesser Lords, all?’

‘Aye,’ Emil nodded his head in great excitement. ‘All lesser Lords -all joined together now against Shaitan - and all losers, too!’

‘Losers?’

‘He has their measure!’ Emil pointed again, and Radu saw.

With a stuttering and coughing of bio-propulsive orifices,
Things
had emerged from Shaitanstack’s launching bays.

And even at this distance they were far more awesome constructs than the ones ranged against them. Other bays issued flyers with lieutenant and thrall riders; their polished leather armour and iron weapons glinting blue in the sheen of the stars. There followed a scattering as of leaves in a sudden gust, as Shaitan’s forces fought and tore and ravaged amongst their enemies. And shortly, in the space of only a minute or two, the
debris
of Lords Nunosti, Zappos, and Ehrig the Wen’s shattered forces began spiralling, drifting, or plummeting down onto the boulder plains.

Some survivors - a very few, the merest handful, al of them in wild disarray - made to fly home to the lesser aeries of Kirkscrag, Antonstack, and Wenskeep; Shaitan’s superior forces harried them al the way. ‘If the errant Lords themselves are among the survivors,’ Emil husked, ‘Shaitan wil hang them in silver chains from his ramparts, and fry them in the golden fires of sunup.’

Suddenly, there were flurries of activity in the launching bays of the other manses and aeries. Where previously the greater Lords had looked on, perhaps even wagering on the outcome of this insurrection, now they seemed eager to show their solidarity with Shaitan. Flyers launched as ‘anxious’ Wamphyri Lords and Ladies made to attend their overlord. But he would have none of that.

Radu jerked back from his natural viewport as great gonging thoughts rang in his (and in all) vampire minds:
Keep
back! Who dares come here now comes at his own risk! My blood is up! I am betrayed! And who can say but that
these were only dupes, playing out the moves of some sneaky, cowardly gamesmaster? Is there no honour among the
Wamphyri?

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Of course not, and Shaitan knew it… knew also that the others would protest his insinuation - indeed his accusation - anyway. But before their denials could get underway, Shaitan’s ‘voice’ rang out again:
Shaitanstack is now inviolate. I shall
not sufer any of you to come here. All invitations and engagements are cancelled. Now I go to make assessment of my losses -
and
my not inconsiderable gains! Also to think what must be done - and against whom! First, however, I require a show of allegiance. Answer
me now: who stands with Shaitan, recognizing him as his one and true liege Lord?

Radu answered at once: /,
Radu Lykan, stand with Shaitan.
(In truth he didn’t care who he stood with, just as long as he was accepted with a minimum of trouble).

From the others there was momentary silence … until the Lord of Vampires said:
Any who do
not
stand with me, naturally stand against me .

. .

At which there was a concerted babble of nightmare voices, as they sought to ‘guarantee’ their allegiance. For if not, why, Shaitan could pick them off one at a time! And they had already seen what lesser alliances were worth.

The mental gabble picked up, until again Shaitan broke in:

Radu Lykan -
Lord
Lykan, as you are now -you were first to side with me. Since it seems I now hold sway, I hereby testify to your ascension . .

. you
are
Lord Lykan! Moreover, he who would harm you, harms me.
(He paused).
Except… I would hazard from your wolfish
ways, and the bark in your mind, that you are a dog-Lord?
(And after another pause, a mental shrug).
Just so. Wel, and as the dogs of the
Szgany are faithful, so shall I expect faithfulness of you. So be it…

But from the other Lords:

What? He has ascended? Just like that? This bold thief of a wolf out of Sunside?

And Shaitan laughed and told them:
Aye, and he keeps what he has taken! No payment or repayment due! What? But your losses are small!

For only think what you
might
lose, should I pursue … certain investigations? As it stands, the uprising has been put down.

Those Lords who were caught red-handed will pay for it, and let that be the end of it. Shaitan is merciful…

As the psychic aether fel silent, Radu said to Emil Hagisman, ‘Now you can take your flyer and return to the Gust. If he asks you what transpired, tell him you told me nothing, and be sure I’ll never give you away. Also, if at any future time something should befal Hengor Hagi, you know there’s a place for you with me.

Only tell me one more thing before you go.’

‘Name it,’ the other’s relief was plain to see.

‘In al of this so far, I’ve haven’t heard a single word out of the Ferenczys. Are they without mentalism, or what?’

‘Apparently,’ Emil nodded. ‘It wil doubtless come with time, as al Wamphyri talents do - though slower in some than in others - but for the moment the Ferenczy brothers are deaf and dumb in the art of telepathy.’

They’l know nothing of my presence here?’

‘Oh, be sure they’ll know you’re here, if not who you are. And they’ll know that soon enough, for others are bound to tell them. Then there’s the question of Lagula’s stolen thrals. But you have Shaitan’s protection - for now, at least.’

‘He’s changeable?’

‘As the wind off the Icelands, aye!’

The wind off the Icelands—’ Radu repeated him, nodding thoughtfuly and stroking back his mane. But then he grinned in his wolf fashion, clapped Emil on the shoulder, and barked: ‘—Which currently blows in your favour! So be off now to Hengstack, and give my regards to the Gust. Tel him I admired his word-game, and that I look forward to taunting with him again sometime … ”

Thus Radu Lykan ascended to Wolfsden in Starside, in those earliest days of the Wamphyri…

The rest is known.

Radu rose in the ranks of the Wamphyri, and acquired al the ‘natural,’ monstrous instincts of a Lord almost as a vampire born. Eventualy he incurred the wrath of Shaitan, by which time he was equal in stature to even the greatest of the lesser Lords, and Wolfsden was insufficient to contain his army. Territorial, he looked at the other stacks - al of them occupied now - but
especialy
he looked at Ferencscar!

Let the bloodwars commence! Radu allied himself with Hengor Hagi, Klaus Lankari, and Thereza Lugosi against the Ferenczys, who were now legion. Lagula Ferenczy had sired a bloodson, Nonari the Gross, and a daughter, Freyda Ferenc, both of whom had ascended in their turn to occupy their own aeries. Rakhi Ferenczy had likewise ascended to a Lord (albeit a lesser one); for Petre Stakis’s last bite had been virulent indeed, transfusing or conferring upon Rakhi all the ingredients of a Lord. In short, he had developed a leech of his own.

Still Rakhi fell first. Radu beheaded him, tore out his parasite and devoured it. Rakhi’s men and beasts were divided between the victors; straws were drawn for Rakstack, which went to the Gust, who at once gutted the place; Radu and his allies again turned their eyes on Ferencscar, Nonspire and Freydastack. But Freyda, a so-called ‘Mother of Vampires,’ was no more; she had died spawning a deluge of eggs, al of which save one were diseased and likewise expired.

Ferencscar fell, and finally Lagula Ferenczy - the lone surviving member of that band who had ravaged Radu’s innocent sister -must pay the price. A hundred and seventy years had passed since then, but 262

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Radu had forgotten and forgiven nothing. The Wamphyri do not forgive. He cut through Lagula’s tendons to weaken his joints, put his neck in a silver noose, skewered his limbs with iron hooks, and had him drawn and quartered between straining flyers, so that his blood and his bits fel like red rain down onto the shuddering boulder plains …

And that would have been that, except now Lagula’s bloodson, Nonari the Gross, swore vengeance on Radu and death to his kith, kin, and spawn for al time to come. The impassioned vow of a Lord of the Wamphyri, which might outlast eternity itself. They would have gone at it at once, except a greater peril now united all the Lords, even Radu and Nonari, against a yet more pitiless foe -whose name was Shaitan!

The Lord of Vampires had stood aloof from the bloodwars … until now. But finaly, when al the others were weakened, Shaitan swooped on the lesser stacks and ate them up in a veritable frenzy of conquest. Until shortly, only two camps left: Shaitan on the one hand, and his Great Enemies on the other.

The stacks under Shaitan’s control were many; flesh of his flesh, his own bloodsons and daughters, inhabited them. But one of these (Shaitan’s ‘true’ son, or egg-son, the once-Turgo Zolte, long returned from banishment and grown mighty in Starside) joined now with his father’s foes in the longest and bloodiest bloodwar so far … which in the end Shaitan won.

Then the reckoning, when Hengor Hagi, Klaus Lankari, and Thereza Lugosi were buried alive out on the boulder plains, to stiffen to stones, and Turgo Zolte was banished into the northern Icelands; except he reneged on his punishment and fled east over the Great Red Waste, out of his father’s jurisdiction, and presumably to his death. And the Drakuls, Nonari the Gross, and Radu were hurled, along with a handful of surviving thralls and supplicant Szgany, into the Hell-lands Gate; many of whom resurfaced in a land caled Dacia by its Roman overlords, on a great river caled the Danuvius, in a world an entire dimension’s remove from Starside, in the year AD

371.

They emerged close to a harbour, where Roman merchants and the soldiers who protected them, along with local Dacians, gathered to buy or barter, and to trade in slaves. And because they arrived by the light of the ful moon it was a joyous time for Radu, when he and his ran free and amok among the sparse local populace …

Eventually, the Drakuls and theirs went up into the mountains (later the Carpathians), to find or build an aerie; Nonari ‘the Gross’ Ferenczy fled east from Radu’s wrath and took a new name; and Radu crossed the river with his followers, who spread out into al the lands around. And in an age of legends, it was the beginning of a new legend - indeed, of several. The legends of the vampire and the werewolf, and the dark things of night.