Necrosiac 16 (For Real) (1140 hits)
Category: NoneLabels: Necro
Rating: 2 on 29 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Snark << snarkk.at.gmail.com (View user info) at 2004-09-17 11:36:23 EDT
The First 15 parts of the story of a quack who's gone to the dogs.
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CHAPTER 16
Hadrian Pasteur brought the meeting to order with three loud raps of his ivory handled cane on the top of the rickety wooden table before him, then forced his gaunt creaking body up from his equally weak chair and surveyed the crypt and its occupants.
He despised having to meet in the dank dirty dungeon he found himself in. The crypt smelled of stale air and moist earth. The cracked cement walls and ceiling surrounding him were being slowly reclaimed by the steady pressure of nature pushing in on them. Now and then a drift of dirt fell from the roof where the taut muscular roots of trees were slowly prying it apart. Many of the tomb markers had fallen off the walls and lay in pieces on the floor exposing the bones and rags of long forgotten souls, the ancient brittle remains of the once living, crumbling and useless even to one as powerful as him.
Such a waste.
He was no stranger to dark places but this place was below his station, below the station of everyone in the room. He was the Pentate of the High Necromancer Pact and should be presiding over the gathering in a grand hall amidst marble pillars along with the other eight members of the elite, not sneaking in the night to a hole in the ground like a Rat.
He scanned the faces of the other members of the pact and was met with looks of despair, resignation and defeat.
Times were tough.
Over the years the agency had become more and more efficient at employing magic and science to find and destroy his kind. The persecution of his Class had been happening since the dawn of them but never had it been this effective, this crushing.
Long revered methods of subterfuge and deceit were becoming useless against the growing array of Casters and technology at the enemies disposal. There was no defense for mysterious persona against the cold psychology of criminal profiling, no comfort in stealth under the unwavering eye of DNA fingerprinting. The Necromantic sect had always been in the shadows. Since their birth they had thrived in the twilight shroud of rumor and the myths of society but the mystique that had been their strength had become their weakness in modern times. Age old traditions had denied them the resources to fight fire with fire and until recently they hadn't even been organized enough to fully understand the scope of the oblivion encircling them.
Hadrian could tell from the downtrodden faces before him that they all knew their fates were sealed, that the time for their kind was rapidly drawing to an end. He understood their despair, he'd felt the same way five years previous.
But then something miraculous had happened. Something he never would have thought possible. He had come face to face with a new Messiah, an unholy messenger from the darkest of shadows who would bring them all to their rightful place in the order of things.
He had met Luis Penance.
He remembered the shell of stolen flesh and bone Penance had constructed around his being hadn't been particularly awe inspiring, but like all great men, the grandeur of what he was radiated from him like the glow of priceless stones lying exposed in a worn leather bag. The man had a natural unmistakable aura about him that commanded respect, obedience... subservience.
One felt small in the presence of the Dark Father. It was an effect he immediately had on any member of the class he encountered while those ignorant of his nature failed to give him a second glance. Looking back on it Hadrian could see that the ability to blind the endlessly multiplying sheep of the modern world to his true nature was a defining example of the man's genius.
The two men had become close almost immediately. Each had been schooled in the old ways of their Class and shared a deep seated love for the dark art they practiced.
At first Luis hadn't confided the full story of his origin to Hadrian. He'd felt it was enough to share, that as a baby, he'd been smuggled from Poland during the Second World War to Paris where he'd been brought up with the traditionally biased sects of Necromancers who thrived under the City of Love's endless catacombs. He'd also never given full details of his tutelage except to say it had been harsh and that as a young child he had fallen asleep to the screams of the innocent the way the innocent fell asleep to the melodies of their mother's.
The stories had filled Hadrian with delicious envy.
Despite the lack of detail in Luis recollections it was not a great feat for Hadrian to deduce from his mannerisms that the man had been raised as an aristocrat... as royalty.
Over time as they bonded through mutual practice of the art, Luis had seen fit to disclose more of his true identity, until the night when the realization of what was before him had caused Hadrian to fall to his knees babbling and kissing the cold peeling feet of his friend, his teacher, his savior.
The last bastion of forlorn deeds.
That moment of revelation had changed everything including Penance. It had been the sign the Dark Father had been waiting for and he'd immediately demanded a meeting of the Pact.
As usual it had taken several days to arrange the meeting and Luis had used the time to school Hadrian in his apocalyptic plans for the future of them all. The scope of his vision had terrified and excited Hadrian but he was already fully a slave to Luis charms and felt no doubt that the plan was more reality than dream.
Penance had the unquestionable obedience of the Pentate Necromancer as he'd planned from the start and when the time finally came he used it to gain quick acceptance within the elite.
He had been wise enough to keep his true nature a secret, shared only by himself and Hadrian and had introduced himself to the gathering as a prophet. It was an introduction that was met with the slightest of disbelief as the Necrosiacs natural charisma washed over the group like a flood as it had the Pentate.
Hadrian kept his position as Head of the order in what they still called the "New World" The continent west of Europe. But Penance was always there, an enigma in the shadows and before long the elite looked to him as their guide and teacher. After a time they had begun to address him with a title that came natural to them.
Father Penance.
Over the following year and a half the Pact had thrived under the guidance of the Prophet. He helped them to shed the dead skin of many of the old ways while re-establishing long abandoned links to their forgotten family overseas. He'd encouraged them to recruit new Acolytes to the cause and taught them how to better blend in with the unfamiliar society they had lost touch with so long ago.
Their power and numbers had swelled like never before and for the first time in recent memory they had begun to position themselves to hold their own against the constant attacks of the Agency and then eventually to strike back.
Penance had seemed to have an endless supply of resources that he selflessly shared with them. He'd given them vast amounts of money to procure many of the lost manuscripts of their faith, to organize and enhance the training of those new to the order and to stockpile weapons for the coming war.
But then on the eve of their resurrection the Agency had reared its ugly head once again and dealt its deadliest blow yet. With the death of Father they'd lost their mentor and guide. They'd lost their prophet and strength. They'd lost hope.
Long prepared plans for their ascendancy to true power turned to dust as the Pact and their Acolytes turned from the path Father had laid out before them. Hadrian had been shocked at the speed with which everything turned to ruin at first and had vehemently urged them not to give up faith. He'd done his best to fill the void left by Luis' passing but compared to the Dark Father he was little more than a shadow and eventually he found himself slipping into the same morose apathy that surrounded him in the crypt.
Silently he wondered if the wondrous news he brought would be enough to bring them back from despair, to give them the faith to make the sacrifices necessary for what must be done.
The dry ever changing voice of Mute brought him out of the inner sanctum of his mind as the second eldest among them spoke through his newest pet. Mute had been the only one to openly challenge Penance and had been punished for it in front of the entire Pact when the Prophet had ripped out his tongue and denied him his name. The brutality and sheer power of the act had served to cement the respect and obedience Penance demanded from every member of the elite, especially the man who up until that point had been known as Terrence Dervish. With the exception of Hadrian, Mute was the most powerful among them but he'd been as weak as a baby in the arms of a giant when Penance had exercised his will.
"Penthaate... weeee wait."
Mute removed one fat bluish hand from the back of the head of the thing that had once been a 14 year old boy then crossed his arms in front of his round suit clad frame and waited.
Hadrian gave a slight nod of acknowledgement and ran his free hand over the coarse hairs of his graying beard as he fought to come up with the words that had been alive in his cold mouth only a minute before.
"I bring great news for us all" he finally said "I bring news of the Dark Father and the resurrection of our destiny..."
"Penance is dead! We've suffered enough old man! His vision rots like his flesh!"
Hadrian snapped his attention to the origin of the angry female voice then fought back surprise as he realized it had come from the one member of the Pact he had expected to openly support him. Madeline Pasteur stared defiantly back, arms crossed over her long grey coat in much the same way as Mute. The defiant set of her thin wrinkled face and yellowed eyes told him he'd drastically underestimated the extent to which defeat had permeated the woman who had once been his wife and he barely resisted the urge to take a step back from her. If she was so openly confrontational there could be no doubt as to the threat he faced from the rest of the elite. They'd had enough and he realized that if he showed the slightest amount of weakness they would descend on him like a pack of wolves. He angrily brought his cane down hard on the floor beside him but spoke with calm authority.
"Father Penance lives on through his seed. They came to me a short time ago. Brother and Sister"
Hadrian stood and waited for an inevitable response as expressions of doubt and unease framed the pale faces of the gathering before him. The response came from Madeline, much of the edge had gone from her voice but she remained defiant.
"What of it Hadrian?" she spit "Are we to rally around the empty promises of his offspring now?"
Beside her a short bald man in a long blue trench coat took a step towards the table and brought his fist down hard upon its cracked and pitted surface.
"Enough Pentate! Father did enough damage with his foolish dreams without you bringing his brats into our midst!"
The hard truth that he was a moment away from losing everything spurred Hadrian into action. He countered the threat by taking three quick steps around the corner of the table and bringing the pointed tip of his cane hard across Madeline's face, laying her cheek open and sending her to the dusty floor.
"FOOLS!" he yelled then pointed it at the shocked visage of Madeline where she lay crumpled and wheezing "You will address me as Pentate or your withered heart will beat inside my chest!"
Hadrian didn't wait for a response, he'd been leader long enough to understand that one didn't give up the initiative. He turned to point his cane at Madeline's would be comrade.
"The bitch has never held anything but contempt for you Brother Stint. Step back and hear me out before I teach you why!"
Reginald Stint slowly removed his hand from the table before him and looked pleadingly around the room for a show of support.
"BACK!"
With a flinch he dropped his head towards the ground and took one involuntary step back.
Hadrian surveyed the faces before him once again. No one dared return his gaze.
Satisfied the immediate threat before him had passed he forced him self to once again address the group with calm authority.
"Father Penance was not a false Prophet. He was a visionary and a genius. He was our teacher and our savior and every one of you here knows it. We all benefited in uncountable ways from his time among us and now you cowardly turn your back on his memory? You turn your backs on his teachings and the faith he placed in us?"
Mute looked up defiantly at the mention of the word "Cowards" but quickly returned his gaze to the floor as Hadrian continued.
"Are you all so pathetic that you would turn your back on his last gift to us? Are you all so blind that you couldn't see what really walked among us?"
"You dare call yourself the elite. You dare claim a place within the Pact. You are nothing more than insignificant ignorant self important children. The Dark Father wasn't a Prophet he was a GOD! HE WAS NECROSIAC!"
Every head in the room snapped up in shock and searched Hadrian's face for an indication of whether or not he spoke the truth. When no trace of a lie became apparent they turned and searched for solace and guidance from each other but found shame and uncertainty instead.
The Pentate paused and took a minute to regain his self control. He hadn't meant to speak so vehemently but then again he'd never been one to suffer fools gladly. He took comfort in the unease of the Pact and thought he could feel the tide turning in his favor.
Madeline shakily returned to her feet and stood in front of him once more, her lacerated face wary but not devoid of defiance. She took a step back from him and put a hand to her leaking cheek. "He may have been Necrosiac... Pentate... but he was no God. Penance found true death at the hands of an Agent"
A quick glance around the room told him that the battle had not been won. He could plainly see that there were others who shared the same opinion.
"Yes" he said "He is truly dead. He was taken from us prematurely but you can believe me when I tell you that his children have manifested as well and they are even more powerful now than their father was. I doubt a Redeemer bullet could stop one of them if they were determined. They have taken a Seer and a very powerful Illusionist. Those talents are already at full blossom and their Necrosiac abilities continue to grow. Already they are like nothing I have ever seen and by the end of tomorrow evening they will have taken a Mage"
Mute placed a meaty hand on the head of the dead boy at his hip once again.
"Whaaat wuld yooo have usss do?"
"Carry out Father's wishes. Gather your students. Give them the weapons we've stockpiled..."
An uneasy murmur echoed through the cramped space of the crypt. Spurred on by the unease of her colleagues Madeline smoothed back her straight white hair and stepped forward again.
"Madness!" she hissed "Suicide! We could never win. We will be slaughtered like babes in a massacre!"
Hadrian responded to her comments but purposefully addressed the entire group. He wanted them to see that even though she could provoke him to a degree, she was only a step above insignificant.
"Yes" he said "We cannot win in an open conflict with the Agency. Their resources are legion and should we seriously harm them we would only ensure the wrath of the military... it is suicide but it is not madness"
"Then why Pentate?"
He didn't catch who had asked the question but decided it didn't matter. With the exception of Madeline and perhaps Mute the group was thinking as one. For the first time he thought he might have a chance to sway them.
He relaxed a little and placed both hands on the top of the cane in front of him.
"To give them the time they need" he responded "Time to read the teachings Father left with us... time to harvest more talent and learn to use it. The Agency knows of them and searches for them even now. If we do not act we run the risk of losing our last chance to take our rightful place above the living"
"Whaaat good ifff weee are dead when theeey reech there powerrrr?"
Hadrian smiled sadly and shook his head "For those that came before us and those that will follow. We are as natural to this world as those who see us as abomination. Every one of us was born with the talent. We did not choose to be what we are yet we have been shunned, hunted... persecuted since the dawn of time. They burn our children, imprison our followers and martyr our prophets. They see us as malevolence personified. They mistake our love of un-life as a hatred of all things not rotting. I do not discount that they are not partially correct, but if they are... then it is only because they have made us this way after a millennium of murder. The Necrosiac offer us the chance to bring the dead to walk among the living once more. That is their promise to you. It is the gift Father meant for us, but like all great things, it doesn't come without a price"
"And why have you not brought them to us Pentate?"
Hadrian turned his steady gaze to bear on Stints uneasy face "Had I brought them to you such as you are they would have torn you all limb from limb, much as father would have had he lived to see this"
It was becoming apparent to him now that he was getting through to them. He could see resolution in some of them and hints of the old excitement in others but Madeline remained cautiously defiant and Mute had always been impossible to read. He gave the group a quick nod and retrieved his attaché case from beneath the head of the table then opened it and removed a thick stack of file folders, placing them in a pile on the table top.
"This gift comes from Lillith, Father's daughter. There is a folder for each of you detailing the names and addresses of many Agency personnel in the cities under your domain"
Another murmur floated around the dank space, this one carrying an edge of excitement. Never had they had a weapon before them such as this. Never had they had anything but the most rudimentary intelligence concerning their greatest Nemesis.
Directly across the table from him Katherine spoke. Being the youngest of the group her dead features still carried an almost warm glow of life about them. She wore black leather pants and jacket which framed her tall lithe figure and equally black hair and lipstick that gave her the gothic look that Hadrian had noticed was favored among the newer generation of Necromancer. "And what of your Acolytes Pentate?"
"In two days I send some of them to retrieve Fathers Last Will and Testament as well as what his children assure me is a copy of the Necrosiad. The rest I leave to protect our future"
Hadrian stood and awaited their judgment. He'd said all he could think to say.
Surprisingly Reginald was the first to step forward and retrieve the file with his name on it from the stack. He opened it and quickly scanned the paper inside then smiled at the Pentate and said "Two day then"
The example was soon followed as the others save Madeline and Mute came forward one at a time each taking their folder and stepping back resolutely.
Madeline glared at the Necromancers surrounding her then turned on Hadrian her visage a twisted oozing mask of anger and loathing and slapped him hard across the face, the blow almost sending him to his knees.
"This is madness Hadrian!" she hissed "I'll not be a part of it. You'll not have one shred of assistance from myself or my Acolytes!"
Before he had time to react Mute snatched the cane out of his hand and in one motion drove the pointed end into the vehement woman's eye socket and through the back of her skull, pinning her writhing and shrieking to the wall behind. He turned to the table, picked up the second to last folder and placed his hand back on the head of his pet.
"Tooo days... waaar"
Hadrian nodded and did his best to conceal the unexpected pride that threatened to crack his face wide open then turned to his former wife and stuffed his handkerchief into her mouth to muffle her deafening shrieks. He stopped for a moment and reveled in the song of her torment then smiled and kissed her on the forehead.
"My dear" he cooed "You and I need to have a talk"
User Reviews
Submitted by Fey (user info) at 2007-05-07 11:10:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
They can't have Tasker.
Submitted by Yes (user info) at 2005-06-16 23:44:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
holy flogging batshit, I'm outta time for tonight, I shall finish tomorrow.
Rockin'!
Submitted by zakalwe (user info) at 2005-06-14 12:12:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Don't tell me they are going to take Trasker?
Submitted by Revolutionman (user info) at 2005-05-05 22:21:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Charred (user info) at 2005-03-31 16:42:04 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Seriously?
Find a publisher.
Submitted by thorpe (user info) at 2005-03-28 22:41:01 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Still reading them.
This was the best so far, excluding all those other ones. No wait, that makes it sound like the other ones were worse. You know what I mean.
Submitted by munkeypants (user info) at 2004-11-16 14:27:08 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Malificent (user info) at 2004-09-20 16:46:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
:')
Glad you're back on track. I had missed this.
Submitted by Falconer (user info) at 2004-09-20 13:21:21 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Fr057m0urn3 (user info) at 2004-09-18 10:22:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Genius.
Submitted by Circe (user info) at 2004-09-17 18:04:20 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Hahahahahahahaha.. I'll be looking for that email.
Submitted by Snark (user info) at 2004-09-17 18:01:27 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Damn I need to tell you about my last date.
I'll gmail it to you...
Basically here it is in two sentences...
Stoopid Canadian boy! You go commit Sepukku!
You no buy me Diamond Ling you commit Sepukku!
Submitted by Circe (user info) at 2004-09-17 17:54:21 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
HA! He's at work. you REALLy think I'd be surfing Uber if my long deprived sex was available? I'm not that addicted.
No, really, I'm not.
.....
Shut up.
Submitted by Snark (user info) at 2004-09-17 17:52:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Now get your ass back in bed and catch up on more sex!
Submitted by Snark (user info) at 2004-09-17 17:49:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Wow!
I do feel special and not in my usual "Short Bus" kind of way...
Submitted by Circe (user info) at 2004-09-17 17:34:56 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Yes, it is! 18 hours on two planes and a stopover in freaking singapore so I could come here and review your posts in a whole other country.
Feel special? :)
Submitted by indepth25 (user info) at 2004-09-17 17:32:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
LMAO at the Donkey, he's never far from your thoughts is he! Good story, keep it coming bud
Submitted by Snark (user info) at 2004-09-17 17:27:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Wow is that a review from Holland?
Submitted by Circe (user info) at 2004-09-17 17:22:47 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I, uhm...
You're amazing.
That's all. You rock my world.
Submitted by Snark (user info) at 2004-09-17 16:44:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Heya Cryo...
I guess I should have qualified the timeline.
Yeah this story takes place two days prior to the last one. The Acolytes Hadrian talks about sending out are the ones that Mattaius and company run into at the shop...
There is also a subplot that goes something like this...
Pizza Guy: Someone order a large Peperoni?
Terri: I did but gosh, I don't have any money...
Pizza Guy: Oh well then I guess you will have to pay with some sweet sweet Pussah!
*Boom chica chica boom*
Donkey: Heehaw!
Submitted by Cryopaul (user info) at 2004-09-17 16:33:13 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
If you're an asshat, then I must be an asshat's asshat.
Awesome story. So uh....is it really two days or is that two days in the story universe but 1 week for us?
Submitted by Xena (user info) at 2004-09-17 14:32:56 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I honestly don't know what to say! I love the way it's all coming together. I would have to agree, you don't give yourself enough credit, it was awesome.
Submitted by engine13 (user info) at 2004-09-17 13:32:20 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I've been waiting for this for what seems like forever.
I'm looking forward to the rest. It sounds like there is a bit to go still.
Submitted by wazzawazzayo (user info) at 2004-09-17 13:16:24 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
It's just frickin' fantastic how you're putting all this together. Everything just works so well. Amazing.
Submitted by Jogging_Monkey (user info) at 2004-09-17 12:30:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
dont stop the music!
Submitted by AshK (user info) at 2004-09-17 12:24:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I think you are selling yourself short, asshat.
This was excellent. Dark and disturbing. No question that your writing style has touches of Lumley, and I don't mean that in a "you copycat asshat" sort of way.
I think Mute is my new favorite character.
Submitted by wookie (user info) at 2004-09-17 12:03:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No comment necessary.
Submitted by Snark (user info) at 2004-09-17 11:42:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Wooops
Submitted by Snark (user info) at 2004-09-17 11:42:15 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
At 30,000 + words I'm about a third through this story.
This one is definitely not the best of the bunch, partly cuz it's the longest and partly because I have been too busy to really sit down and polish it.
Also,
I am an asshat.
Cheers :)