Downtown Chinook, Undying Residence, Mid October
Two weeks later Gregori was back at the rundown Victorian that the Undying used as both a local and overall headquarters. The old Victorian was the main access to the mostly forgotten underground tunnels that the Undying Society used as it's true base of operations. The tunnels had been caused by a fire that all but destroyed the city of Chinook in the early nineteen hundreds. When the city had been rebuilt they had just built right on top of the ruins of the old. In many cases all the city had done was add soil to level out the ground so that the center of town wasn't quite so hilly. This had left behind tunnels and spaces that the Undying had started to use almost immediately. After all why dig out a hidey hole when it's already there. The only surprise to Gregori was that the Anvidai hadn't done the same. Or if they had the Society had never run across them in the tunnels.
Even though he had good news to share, Gregori was conflicted about this particular meeting. Sure he was looking forward to giving his Beloved some good news. Gregori was as nervous as a bride on her wedding night. He always was when he met with the Beloved. After all he was truly in love with the creator of the Undying. Loved her to distraction, loved her with every part of his cold dead unbeating heart and molecule of his being. He hated being out of Her presence. She was his whole life in every way, literally and figuratively. Gregori's primary goal was to please her anyway he could. The fact that he was giving her good news was enough to make his blood hum with anticipation and joy.
All of his love for his Beloved didn't stop the very rational fear that he and every Undying felt in Her presence. Which is why he was concerned about the visit as well. Any meeting with the Beloved, was something to be feared as well as anticipated. Feared because only the insane didn't fear the malevolence that was as much a part of the Beloved, as skin was to Humans. And Gregori didn't consider himself to be insane or a fool. No, Gregori knew that he was intelligent and was excellent at risk assessment. After all, one didn't rise as high and as fast as he had without many different skills and that was definitely one of them. If he hadn't had that skill he wouldn't have joined the Undying all those decades ago. If he'd been a fool he would have died like the rest of his village when the Nazis came with the Undying to find any who didn't follow the right and proper way of the Beloved's message. Although all but the highest members of the Nazi party were unaware that the real power of the party was the Beloved and her Undying Society.
Gregori was kneeling on the floor. Just off from the center of the Beloved's audience room. Right in front of where she would appear. So that when she showed he'd be right at her feet, in a position of submission. Which was only right when was was before one's god. Or goddess in this case. The scent of fear and adoration where milk and honey to the Beloved. The sweetest perfume and and finest food all in one. Her dominion over himself and all of the society was both the cause and the reward of the feelings that coursed through Gregori.
The audience room was where the Beloved met with her Undying. This was the room used for inductions to the Society as well as meetings with the Beloved. The room was right next door to the torture room where the Undying fed on the flesh and terror of those unlucky enough to find themselves captive there. The two rooms together made up the most important and sacred places of the Undying society. Not that any inductions had been held for the last twenty years. Gregori wasn't sure of why the inductions had stopped. Not that he'd ever ask, but Gregori suspected that it had something to do with the missing Sacred Tome.
Gregori missed inductions to be honest. it was a true joy to watch the new inductee's realize exactly what it was that they had joined. No one ever expected true evil to come in such a beautiful package. One could almost be fooled. Until they looked into the eyes of the Beloved and felt the evil that emanated from Her. As soon as they felt in their deepest souls just what the Beloved really was the inductees loved her totally. As far as Gregori knew no one had decided not to join when they faced the Beloved. Although that might be because not joining meant their deaths. Whereas joining meant everlasting life, of a sort.
Mikhail, who was the only other being in the room, stood humbly next to the only door. It was rare to see the Beloved's second in command humble. In fact the only time that Mikhail was anything like humble was when he was meeting with the Beloved. It was significant and a major clue that being afraid was a good idea. After all if someone as powerful and arrogant as Mikhail was humble and subdued then any lesser being would be well advised to grovel.
Mikhail was probably more humble than usual because he was the reason that the Sacred Tome went missing in the first place. Or at least that was what Gregori suspected considering his current mission. There had been no inductions for the last twenty plus years. Not since the thief had disappeared with the Tome and evidently, Mikhail's unborn child. Never would have guessed that one either, Gregori thought to himself. And damned if I'm going to say anything Gregori decided yet again.
The room the two were in was as dark as a cave at night. The only source of light came from the five man high black candles placed equidistant around a circle that was inscribed on the floor. Symbols were painted around the circles edge in what looked like red paint. But Gregori knew from the scent and previous experience that blood was the "paint" used. The scent made it clear that it was the heart blood of a freshly killed Human prisoner. The scent of death both new and old hung in the air with the aroma of blood. Along with the scent of blood and death was the incense that was burning in Anvidai skulls placed between the black candles in the true center of the room. The musty air was full of dark scents that invoked images of battle fields and horror films. If Wes Craven films had an aroma then this room would be it.
Gregori was on his knees before the circle, head bowed, hands palm up and loose on his thighs. Even Mikhail kept his head bowed here, but at least he could enter on his feet. Everyone else entered on their knees, like dogs. Only Mikhail was granted permission to enter on his feet and to stay standing in her presence. Even so, Gregori wasn't certain that he wanted the privilege of being her second in command. He had heard stories that made the blood freeze about what the Beloved did to her second in command when she wanted to play. She didn't always want to use one of the prisoners. Apparently she liked to play with Mikhail from time to time and that was the price you paid for being her second. Along with that price were a whole lot of privileges though.
The candles suddenly flared before all of the light was sucked out of the room like someone had Dysoned it up. The darkness that had enveloped the room was so much more then just an absence of light. Some how the darkness shone more brightly then the light that had come before it ever could. A darkness that was so complete that it ate everything that it touched before it coalesced into a form. A form that both terrified and aroused Gregori as he knelt on the ground before it. His Beloved was here and all Gregori's thought vanished. His only thought, only desire was for the Beloved. He craved her touch like a starving man craves food. Even though Her touch burned to the core of his being, Gregori needed it like a drug.
Gregori knew what he would of seen if he'd dared to lift his eyes. The form the darkness encased had appeared in the center of the runed and inscribed circle. A nightmare made of darkness and evil was before him. A nightmare that was so beautiful that one could easily be deceived by it. Want it to a distraction. Until you looked into its eyes. Those eyes were a fathomless black rimmed in a deep blood red. The cold black of an uncaring universe was in those eyes. It was impossible to not know that you were less then mold to the being that looked out of those eyes. This was the Corrupter, the Beloved of the Undying. Gregori gazed lovingly at the perfect feet before him, his body quivering with love and fear.
"You have news for us?" The voice that came out of the blackness that was the Beloved was as cold as space.
There was a hollowness to the voice like someone had added audio effects to the universe's soundtrack. A voice that could strike terror in the dead. The menace in the voice would chill a supernova. Terror spiked through the two Undying in the room at the sound of that cold, dead, remorseless voice. Drenching both of the theoretically living beings in fear sweat. Proof that the fight or flight reflex's of the living, breathing beings that had become the Undying worked just fine. The cause of the fear wasn't alive and never had been. It hadn't been born but was created with the universe. Gregori knew that the Beloved already knew the answer to the question. she merely enjoyed the fear of her supplicants just as the Undying enjoyed the fear of their toys. Even though he didn't dare to look Gregori knew that the Beloved was smiling at the scent of their fear.
Gregori prostrated himself on the floor before answering. "Yes my Lady. I have found the girl you search for." Fear mixed with his overwhelming love making him desire her even more.
"That is good. Our grandchild is almost of age." The voice moved to behind Gregori making him shake even more. He could smell his own fear and knew that the Beloved was pleased by it. "Mikhail my son. You must be happy to hear this news. Your daughter will soon be back in her rightful place. Won't she."
The last wasn't a question so much as a threat. Gregori could feel it in his marrow and while part of him was glad that it hadn't been aimed at him another part was jealous that it was Mikhail getting the attention. Everyone knew now that Mikhail was searching for the girl. Every Undying was looking for her after all. There was a rustling behind him before Mikhail spoke that hinted to Gregori that Mikhail was bowing. Or maybe falling to his knees, no probably bowing since there had been no thump of a heavy body hitting the ground on its knees. The scent of Mikhail's fear had definitely spiked at the Beloveds words.
"Yes My Lady. Very happy." The location of Mikhail's voice confirmed that the male had bowed deeply not gone down onto his knees.
The Undying had been taking prisoners of late in the hopes of finding a lead on the girl. Something that had only happened in the past if they were looking for some new toys to play with. While Humans were much easier to get and often were used to feed the Undying's need for pain. The most satisfying meals came from victims that were Anvidai. Rather like the difference between pizza and a five course meal. After all they were the hardiest and could with stand so much more pain before they died. And besides they were the primary target of everything the Undying did.
Since he'd been given this assignment Gregori had learned a few things about Mikhail and what he could and could not do. Not because Mikhail had wanted him to have the info but because the Beloved did. She almost seemed annoyed at her second in command. Something that pleased Gregori to no end. If she was unhappy enough there might be a new second in command. And wouldn't it be wonderful if it was him. Mind you there were some aspects of being the second in command that could be hard on a body. Overall Gregori was fairly certain that he'd be up for the job. And as much as it made him nervous, Gregori craved the chance to try.
Over twenty years ago the Beloved had sent Mikhail out to find and seduce a specific female. That Mikhail had managed to hide his nature long enough for the female to fall in love with him was a minor miracle as far as Gregori was concerned. He wasn't sure how but somehow, with the Beloved's help, Mikhail had managed to get the female pregnant. The Undying weren't supposed to be able to beget children, they weren't actually alive after all. It had been about this time that the thief had managed to steal one of the Sacred Tomes.
Neither Mikhail nor the Beloved had said so but Gregori suspected that the female who had borne Mikhail's daughter and the thief were one in the same. Gregori would never even hint that he might have figured that out. He enjoyed his non-life to much for that. What Gregori really didn't get was how the thief had managed to stay hidden from not only the Undying but the Beloved for all this time.
Unfortunately for Mikhail, the female had figured out the he was Undying before the birth of the child. Probably because once she was pregnant Mikhail had ceased to try and hide his true nature. The thief and mother had been on the lame ever since. None of which would of mattered if Mikhail had managed to find her but she had stayed hidden for this whole time, only being found on a fluke.
The child was supposed to have been raised by the Undying. Raised to think and feel as they did. That was not what had happened however. A failure that the Beloved had corrected with her "tender mercies" as soon as it had happened. It had taken Mikhail almost a decade to fully recover from the "loving" arms of the Undying's Beloved. Something that Gregori didn't want to remember but was unable to forget.
"Bring Our grandchild to Us here. Within the next three days." The voice was firm and the assent that came from the two Undying was exactly what was expected.
Between one heart beat and the next the candle light returned to normal. The darkness that had come with the Beloved, disappearing with her. Gregori stayed on his knees, waiting for Mikhail to either speak or leave. Just because the Beloved had left didn't mean he could rise. Now was so not the time to remind the male that there had been a witness to his dressing down. At least he didn't have to leave on his knees, coming in that way had been bad enough. Gregori just had to wait for Mikhail to leave and then he could do the same.
Slowly the fear sweat on Gregori's body dried and his trembling stopped. He felt no shame at his responses, that would have meant he had some control over them. He had none in Her Presence. the capital letters were present even in his mind. The combination of fear and lust made him shake like a virgin on her wedding night. It looked like Mikhail was going to take his sweet time to either talk or leave. Not that Gregori blamed him for taking his time. Meeting with the Beloved was overwhelming to say the least, even for her second in command. Bone chillingly terrifying was closer to the truth. And even that didn't go far enough especially if she was less then pleased with you.
Anyone would need a few to gather themselves to speak much less move, he sure did. Gods knew that even if Mikhail had left immediately he would have had to stay where he was to recover before he could move anywhere. Gregori was sure that Mikhail was in the same shape he was in. Gregori could smell Mikhail's fear right along with his own. It was common sense to fear the divine after all. Wasn't that why the first thing that angels said was fear not? The Beloved was so much more then any angel could ever be. In all ways. After all she was a goddess not some paltry angel.
To pass the time until he could leave Gregori thought about the devotee that he was thinking of bringing into the Undying. If he'd had the balls or was it brainlessness to speak to Mikhail right now, He would have asked his fellow Undying's opinion about the devotee. The process of bringing someone fully into the Undying was a convoluted and painful one, for the new inductee that is. It was a real treat to watch the Beloved bring a new member into the fold as it were. And as the devotee's sponsor he would be able to watch, and enjoy, the whole thing.
It wasn't often that they brought a devotee into the Undying fully. After all the devotees did the work without being full members. They acted just in the hope of someday earning a place in the society. It was a case of why buy the cow if the milk is free. No it took years for devotees to earn even a chance at becoming an Undying. Only one out of ever couple of thousand of followers ever even learned about the existence of the Undying. And only one of every couple of hundred of those ever got to become a member. It required a special mindset to join after all. One that loved violence for violence's sake.
At the end of the day though no matter who the sponsor was or what the devotee did, the final decision was up to the Beloved. She and only she decided who was allowed to join. The Beloved had never made a wrong choice. Of course she didn't, she was a goddess after all. She was perfection incarnate so everything she did was perfection. And it was her perfect hands that brought the Undying into their new lives, as it were. Maybe the lack of new inductees was die to the quality of the devotees. Maybe it had nothing to do with the missing book. Gregori was doubly glad that he hadn't said anything now. Not about his new devotee. And nothing about how long it had been since there had been an induction. Who was he to second guess anything the Beloved did.
The soft sound of a door closing behind him interrupted Gregori's thoughts. Finally, I can get off of my knees and get to work. The Beloved isn't known for her patience and I have no desire to be the next one on her naughty list.
