The stone hallway resembled the castles of old, lined with an alternating pattern of hanging plants and banners. Enchanted lantern light illuminated a red and black banner with a fanged skull and wings, a striped banner with a human hand print encompassing an animal paw, banners of bone, shrouded eyes and various coats of arms.
My gaze was glued the great banner of the fanged skull, the very same fangs embedded in my gums. Finally, something left by my predecessors that marked me as a part of this academy.
Many of the other sigils I couldn't identify.
As we continued down the hallway I saw a large man in a suit enter into one of the perpendicular door ways. As we passed the opening I peered Inside. The room appeared to have rows of elevators on either side, only the entryways glowed with an amethyst hue emanating from massive portals. The ceiling of the room was an exact match to that of the observatory. Large constellations assembled and disassembled as passengers came and went, longitude and latitude coordinates glowed where the floor numbers should be.
We walked on.
Ahead I spotted two agents guarding the doorway in full battle gear armed with assault rifles. One was a large male covered in thick fur and the bestial visage of wolf, the other was a female with shiny teal skin and fins up the sides of her jawline. The glow from their weapon's magazines told me they were not regular guns.
The assembly hall entrance was framed by pillars and the baroque arch at the top matched the architecture inside. A small golden plaque next to the doorway was etched with the words World Supernatural Coalition Assembly Hall.
The hall was massive, a circular chamber with rings of tables and chairs. Each station was equipped with microphones and circled a single large dais with a podium at the center. From the ceiling hung miniature versions of the banners the lined the connecting corridor.
My eyes darted back and forth to find the fanged skull flag, as if it justified my being here.
"I thought we were through with you fanged freaks," came a voice from behind.
I turned my head to see three women standing in the isle, the center most one had her arms crossed and a face twisted in disgust.
They were each dressed in the same black cadet uniform, with fishnets under the sleeves and bones around their necks and wrists.
Not this shit again.
"You must be bone singers like Lorelei." I mumbled.
The lead woman let out a haughty laugh. "How naive, we are bone singers yes but we are seers not makers. We divine the threads of fate, the future."
That explains the smug look across their faces.
With a calming vibrato she waved a hand across her chest, the knuckle bones hanging there acquiescing into her grasp. She held the bones out in her hands as if to study them as she continued singing, a pale light emanating from her palms.
As the melody came to an end she closed her eyes and tossed the bones, clattering to the ground they spun together to form a pattern. I couldn't discern the crude angular symbol.
"Death." She whispered as the other two crept closer.
"I see death, blood sucker." Mischief glinting in her eyes.
"Well I've been dead for a few weeks now, I could have told you that," I shrugged.
"You fanged bi- "
"Academy first years please find your seats." A voice from the center of the room cut her off.
YOU ARE READING
Veins of Shadow and Lace
FantasíaTired of being behind on her bills Hazel accepts an unorthodox job interview in a seldom traveled part of town. While on her way to the interview her life is turned upside down as she finds herself thrust into a world she never knew existed. As a ne...
