The Vampire's Crimson Kiss (Editing)

Chapter 41/The darkness falls in the nerve garden

"What is it?" I shouted twisting the lever on the ball crushing machine.

"I..dont...know" said the Duchess's familiar through gritted teet.

I let out a long invective in the black tongue, it sounded worse that a thousand of hells curses. I was finding the stone floor, hard to stand on, greased as it was with the familiar's own blood.

"One more circle then it will not be undone. Then I start on the next one then I will poll you" I promised.

"Never..."

I then pulled the leaver to his screams. I was so used to them by now, I was angry and they failed to affected my sprit. His intransigence did vex me bitterly. A bell tolled, I thought it might be for the wedding and moved onto the other parts of his anatomy. "This is your last chance before I birth my self a maiden" I said

Mary arrived as the worst was in progress.

"Has he spoke?" she said.

"Not yet but he will" I promised amidst his cries. I needed something. Something which would touch his soul. 

Then a bell sounded.

"What's that?" I said.

Mary froze. "Shit. Some immortal is releasing the red-dawn. the ceiling poison, but the red-dawn is only for the case of insurrection. There might be a break out from dungeons or something." Mary said rushing to a statue. She twisted a special part and released the familiar's gas masks. She pulled out three. Put one over her own head and then helped me on with the other. I took the mask clearly intended for the life of the long coat.

Sadisaman' slong coats with me each stood still by me during the torture, made sure their own masks fitted.  

Mary ran out to find out what was going on. 

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Mary went down the corridor and heard another alarm bell. She looked down the stairwell and saw bedlam at the bottom. Some guards rushed up the stairs.

"What's happening?" shouted Mary.

"The lower floors are full of First Earth Army, they are attacking with masks against the red-dawn. " said one.

"Who is releasing the red-dawn?" demanded Mary.

"Its not us, they are doing it" said the other.

Mary grabbed the long coat before he could go.

"In that room is the Princess. We will form a defensive parameter about her at the door. If you run they will just see your mark and kill you, if we stay together protect her then we can use her to negotiate the way out. Die of have a chance to living, Your choice. Now move."

The man dropped the rifle to the floor.

"Pick that up" said Mary.

"Its useless we don't have any ammunition, its for show, I need a knife or something."

"Pick that up, block the corridor and I will give you both a gas mask and these" said Mary. The long coat was persuaded. She reached into the suit, she carried two rounds and pulled them out. Ammunition was always in short supply so having found two shells she had pocketed them. 

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The Dead whisper in the nerve garden.

"Hear that" I said through the mask "Its red-dawn soon it will get in here and the only thing that will stop it is this" I said holding up the mask. "Ugly death by red-drawn I hear coughing you guts out drowned in your own blood. "

I held the mask up in front of him.

"No one is going to save you they are all too busy saving them selves." I told him.

The pain finally became too much for him he pleaded.

"Then tell me," I said.

"The Duchess was born a man, she was carved and crafted by her mother as a suitable mate for the Duke. Now give me the mask" he said.

"Please, Give me the mask I can smell something" he pleaded.

"I don't think so" said I casually, then dropped the mask "I don't need you now".

I didn't care about him. The gas took him and I noticed him impassively as he froth at the mouth then his lips went black.

Suddenly I looked down and it was like waking up from a dream. 'Oh shit what have I done' I said looking down on the man I killed. I couldn't believe what I had just done. I'd killed some one and worse still felt as little about it as killing a chicken. I didn't feel upset or terrible about it. I wondered what I had become? I don't know how evil was to feel but it didn't feel any different from normal. I couldn't believe it.  What had I become?