Chapter 1 - 3
Chief Commander Brooke stepped down from the reliquary's spiralling staircase, almost tripping as her heel became partially trapped in the crevice of the stone floor's cobbling.
Brooke's eyes squinted through the dull light and she tutted at the small encounter from her heel's worst enemy. Raising her brown brazen eyes to the bleak light, provided by the pre-century electrical light bulbs, she raised her hands in a gesture of peace. The peaceful gesture may as well have been a drop to the knees and hands on the floor with her head bowed; Brooke knew that her conferrer was as powerful as perhaps her own nation.
Out of the darkness, came broken English words, accentuated with a thick Slavic tinge.
"Commander Brooke, I recommend a much better attention to be performed against your footwear"
"I, I'm terribly sorry your highness," Commander Brooke had long forgotten the way to speak to a higher authority "If you may, I have a proposal to offer you."
"I may" Stubbornly replied the voice
Brooke had no words to say to the voice's reply. She could not possibly correct the uncommon mistake out of fear, and she simply had no reply.
"I, erm, I, I mean, I, our country desires your utmost attention, your majesty." Stuttered Brooke.
The Commander's failure with equity, respect, and wording embarrassed her to no end. The feeling of being a rookie brought her back to the early days as a woman serving in the military. The perseverance that guided her through those chauvinistic times dragged her through everyday life, and nothing was going to stop her.
"Commander Brooke, I am-" Started the apparition
"Mr Vladimir, my colleagues and I are losing a winnable war, we see it in our best needs and interests that we come to you in our hour of need, we desperately need reinforcements and-"
"Chief Commander Brooke, I find it rude that you dare interrupt mine speech when I talk," Vladimir's authoritive tone ripped Brooke's confidence to devastated shreds. "If you require assets for your war effort, I appreciate your acknowledgment of my allegiance to your standard, and would no sooner grant you access to my few warriors."
"Oh thank you, thank you from the deepest reaches of our nation; we are in your gratitude, the whole-"
"Commander, I've not finished."
Brooke's mouth stopped moving, her intentions of gratitude ceased immediately.
Out of the shadow, Vladimir stalked. Walking with heavy soundless footsteps, the ancient vampire's white, silver encrusted claw of a hand reached out to touch Brooke's face.
"You're a beautiful lady, do you know that Brooke? Do you mind me calling you Brooke?"
Brooke's spine shivered thoroughly, the vampire's touch was unnecessary and uncalled for. In all the years her country's leaders have been negotiating with the ancient earth walkers, there has never been a physical aspect of any such meeting.
"No sir, I do not mind." Was all Brooke could muster
"That is good," Nodded Vladimir, whispering through blunt fanged teeth. "Do you know how long I've been down here without relations with a woman, Brooke?"
The statement that erupted from the creature's crustaceous throat throttled Brooke's senses as though a high explosive bomb had gone off in the room, leaving Brooke alive, yet allowing her to feel the repercussions.
"N-No idea, your lordship." Stammered the Commander
"Oh, it has been a long time, a long time indeed."
"I assume it has, sir."
"You know, despite my features, being old and not young and the like, I know I am an attractive man."
Brooke stared into the simple silver spheres that had replaced the monster's human eye balls. The contrast between the word 'attractive' and the vampire itself could almost be described as legendary. Chiselled cheek bones, protruding from the skull, alongside a crooked nose, and a misaligned jaw structure outlined the generalisation of what is known as this thing's facial features. The secondary attributes, the much less noticeable attributes were the barren, dry, white skin that looked like it had simply been thrown upon its face. Vladimir had no hair, and as bald as you get, he was the baldest.
"Kiss me, Brooke." Lip spoke the vampire
"Excuse me?" Blurted Brooke
"I said kiss me, you beautiful fool." Increasing his tone, implicating passion into his voice
The vampire leaned in to kiss the middle aged woman's rose lips. The Commander's personal territory training acted upon its own instinct as she clasped the vampire's forehead with a shock of a slap, tightening her grip all the way down to her knee as she dragged its head.
"Oh you little slut, wait until I recover from my temporary injury, I'm going to fuck you up real good!"
Brooke's mistake had been finalised, she regretted instantly what she had done.
"My liege, I am as sorry as the fox to the chicken!"
"Your apologies are for nothing! You'll hang around my carcass before you're forgiven!"
Tears streamed from the Commander's eyes. The ancient vampire had recovered from its descent to the floor, and had hate within the bleach white of those cylindrical eyes.
"Get the fuck out of here; I want no more of you here!" Screamed the vampire, unrelenting in his voice's abilities, causing a harsh hoarseness
Brooke's heels had not the time to get caught in the cobbles as she took the spiral staircase by surprise. The staircase groaned in pain as she purposefully snapped her heels off of the hardened metal in order to be able to run faster.
The escape was a quick one, as quick as her reaction, as quick as the results.
There were to be no reinforcements for her troops, and what for? Deterrence of a sexual assault? There certainly is no justice in this harsh world for women.
