Order 1: Iscariot's Apprentice
Rome City Hall. Saturday, 7:00 P.M.
The sun was set, and the blue night taking its turn in the sky. Fog was settling itself in the city of Rome. There were no cars driving around right now in this rural area. This part of the city seemed dead, eerie but one figure dared to walk these fogged stone streets. Down the walls of one of the buildings, was fresh dripping blood. Crimson red and staining its path down the stone. Skey's upper lip lifted in disgust as she stopped to study this a minute or so.
" Damned blasphemous vampire."
There was an echoing laugh that rolled down the clouded streets. Skey's head whipped up as she pinpointed where the laugh came from. Her arms crossed over her stomach as her hands grabbed the hilts of her katana swords. The scraping of metal broke through the air as it the sound itself was the whisper of death. Quickly, her pace became, until it broke out into a run for a building in front of her. It was a tall stone building. Over the writing saying City Hall of Rome, was the writing of 'God be Dead in His Heaven.' All of it wrote in blood. Skey was a bit horror struck at the sight.
" Ok, Skey, calm down. It's not as bad as you've seen before."
A deep breath was took in as she started up the stone steps. The doors were dark and haunting. It was as if the building itself was crying out for her to turn back, and not to proceed on. Inside was dark as night. The only source of lighting shining into the place was the street lights outside. Her feet walked across the cold tile and into the center of the room, looking around a bit. Laughter again. A wisp of wind flew past her, making her gray trench coat flutter a bit. The calm remained over Skey. A wispy, suave voice then spoke to her from within the shadows.
" So little Iscariot girl,...you've come to kill me I take it."
A man stepped out from the shadows. He wore a gleaming black trench coat, a black vest that was zipped up tightly over his chest and black dress pants. His shoulder length hair was slick back, the soft gleam of the light outside reflecting off it. Those red eyes of his pierced hard through Skey, as if daring her to come forth. Everything about him was frightening. Even his smile, wide and persuasive, was that of the devil's seduction. He held one arm behind his back, the other simply hanging down by his side. Those hands were gloved in black leather gloves, but the distinctly dripped and smelt of fresh blood. Plap, plap, plap the blood's dripping sound made. Some dripped onto his black dress shoes, leaking down the side in a slow manner. This vampire disgusted Skey. Her face scowled in deep anger.
" The blood spilt today was of Catholic blood I hope you know. Mmm, it was a tasty treat for me,...to taste that innocent blood. Quite satisfying and pleasing to my senses."
His hand gestured very slightly to a body laying in the shadows, the hand reached out into the bit of light. Blood ran its way across the pure white tiles. Skey's hands shook as they gripped the katanas tightly. Her teeth were clenched together tightly as her heart became filled with fiery hatred. That calm she kept was quickly eroding away.
" Oh, come now. Don't fret. It is not as if you knew that poor woman."
" You have killed a Catholic. That's a crime I will not stand! You filthy, damned pig!"
The vampire's smile became filled with joy of her anger. His hand lifted and with a snap, droned out groans of ghouls surrounded her. As Skey glimpsed side to side, seeing these dark, eyeless and gray ghouls surround her in an inescapable circle, it became clear to her.
" I'm not going to let you leave this place, little girl. I plan to suck you dry and leave your corpse on Iscariot's doorstep!"
The vampire's laugh became shrill and maniacal as the ghouls moved in on Skey. Up came his arms as if to embrace this little scene of horrific murder. As Skey disappeared under the ghouls who advanced on her, there was a loud sound of something ripping through skin. Ghouls fell down, crying out in their mellow groans. Up stood Skey, her blue eyes focused on the vampire. In each hand was her katanas, dripping with the clear liquid the ghouls were so filled with. The sight erased the smirk the vampire wore so proudly. More ghouls came to stop her, but the rage of this girl surpassed that of anyone's efforts to kill her. Her nimble legs broke into a burst of speed as her katana was raised. There was nothing that could stop her. More ghouls came to grab at her, and taste her warm flesh, but there was not one way in the world they would be able to do so. She spun quickly her katana swinging out. A stream of blue light flew through the vampire's neck with ease, spilling his blood onto the floor. As Skey stood there, her face hidden behind the arm which held the blood covered blade, all the vampire could do was stumble back. His head fell off and his body started to turn into a sand-like element. Ghouls dropped dead all around her. A breeze of wind circulated in the building, blowing vampire's ashes out of the hall. Skey stood up fully, looking to the body in the shadows. The boots made an echoing thumping sound as she approached the body. Fast came her blade upon the neck of the woman, severing her head from the body. It was a simply precaution she had to take. Skey crossed her hand from shoulder to shoulder, then vertically from her forehead to her stomach. A Latin prayer was whispered before Skey left the building. Her first kill,...and she had loved the adrenaline pulsing through her body. Those pouted lips turned into a gracing smile as the shadow of her leaving the building went away,...the spilt blood gleaming on the floor.
The Vatican. Outside the building.
Skey came back to the Vatican, her mind too clouded to worry if Maxwell would scold her or praise her, whether or not Anderson would be there to receive her report himself or even if anyone would be there. Some would give their report in the morning if none of the priests were up to receive it or record it. The same night hung overhead, a slight wind kissing the flags and small shrubs that grew in th Vatican's Square. People still come to and fro the building, but not as busy as it would be in the mornings. Especially on the Sunday morning Mass. Tonight seemed slow. Sluggish priests made their ways to their cars, the ones who lived outside the Vatican. Skey lived inside it, in the dorms as they were called by most. They were relatively comfy and cozy which was all Skey wanted. Echoes filled the halls as Skey's boots walked the shiny floors. Sleep was aching in Skey's mind. Since this kill was her first, she expected Maxwell or Anderson to be with her and make sure how it went. Voices came from around the corner of the hall Skey was walking down. It was dark, since she wasn't near the dome of the building where light usually illuminated everything. She stopped and waited for the voices to come to her, knowing whose they belonged to. She had specks of blood here and there on her but besides that she looked ordinary as when she left. It wasn't long before the two gentlemen revealed themselves, a rather tall man with stubbles all along his jaw from neglect of shaving, blonde hair and beautifully mesmerizing green eyes. At his side was a much shorter man with a ponytail of long gray hair. His eyes were green as well, and was rather aged. Skey cleared her throat to catch the two's attention and when she did, it startled them.
For Maxwell, it was too early for her to be back so soon. The vampire they sent her to hunt had eluded many of Iscariot's paladins already. The kill was evident. Blood graced in tiny spots of her clothes, hardly seen in the light unless it shined a certain way.
" Skey! Yer back A' ready? Tha' was quick!"
Indeed it was but only a smile showed on Skey's perfectly shaped face showing the confidence she had to prove she completed her first assignment. Without giving an order for it, Skey delivered her report of the mission.
" The vampire has been illiminated as well as the ghouls and any other bodies who have been inflicted with a bite to eradicate any future vampires. The one victim was a woman of about her mid-30's. A Catholic woman."
Grimaces graced both of the mens' faces as the news made them angry. It stirred some emotion in Skey too, but not nearly as much as them. Maxwell shuffled off, showing he had a lot to think about tonight as to per to Skey's report. Anderson watched the man walk off in his silence then turned to Skey, ruffling her hair with a loud chuckle. To Anderson, Skey was his pupil and anything she succeeded in, he was proud of for her. Everything he had taught her never went into her head and disappeared. If there ever was a best student, she was. A hand reached out and tickled Anderson's side making him bellow a loud laugh.
" Quit messing my hair up, Anderson! It's not nice!"
A high laugh came from her, showing her happiness and playfulness. Time wasn't in favor for this as the clock struck nine in a dull ring. Both settled down, Skey finally letting the sleep envelope her as it had earlier. A yawn came from her throat as he eyes fluttered sleepily. Anderson turned and saw this, only smiling and patting her head.
" Ah'm proud O' ye, Skey. Guid night."
He walked off down the long hall with echoing steps that faded every inch he went. Skey followed until she got to the hallway which would lead to consecutive hallways that would eventually lead to her dorm. Once getting to the door, she unlocked it with a fumbling hand, pushed it open and entered. The door closed and Skey sighed loudly. What a day, she thought. Her coat was hung up on a hanger, cleaning it quickly before she would fall to the floor to sleep. Without changing into her nightgown, she just laid on the bed and fell asleep upon the impact. Finally, she had proved herself worthy. Worthy of staying here and being respected. It was all she wanted and she would never want more than that.