Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction which will include t/t and m/m relationships, and probably some sex too. If it is illegal in your area to read this, or if you are not old enough to read this (you know who you are), stop here. Otherwise, please enjoy.
Things That Go Bump, Chapter 10
"A World of Shadows"
Sebastian spent the rest of the night in deep thought about his encounter with Gamliel. His early days with his 'sire,' Resheph, who, in his people's mythology became a demon-god of plague and destruction, and his encounters with horrors such as Sekhmet, had confirmed for him early on certain things about his nature, things which he had begun to doubt a thousand years earlier and were now being called into question from all sides. Resheph taught him how to be a horror. Oh those were terrible days! They spread a trail of destruction from Mesopotamia through the fertile crescent. When they arrived in Egypt, Resheph had come into conflict with Sekhmet over Resheph's influence over the pharaoh, Amenhotep II. Eventually, the two "deities" had carved out their own places in the local culture, but by that time, Sebastian -- Hesed -- had long abandoned his sire over a disagreement over how to proceed in the battle with Sekhmet. The demon terrified Sebastian and he simply wished to leave Egypt altogether, so he took his leave and traveled to the Egyptian outposts in Canaan and settled on the outskirts of the coastal city of Byblos.
After the invasion of the so-called "sea peoples," he remained in the area, dabbling in their politics and amassing a fortune as a soldier. When the capital moved to Tyre, so did he, and he became an active figure in the regional trade, often traveling to the cities of the progeny of his cousin. Oh, he played the part of a human well, but when circumstances required, he was the demon he had been reared to be, slaying a thousand with his right hand, ten thousand with his left. But the old ones still terrified him, and he avoided them when possible. The old ones were mad, by and large. The human's viewed them as gods, and at some point, even they started believing it. They lost grasp on reality -- they were unoriginated beings, promulgating the message that he or she was the first, or the worst. They answered to no one. Oh such blessed madness. Sebastian could not forget where he came from. The hurt of what his father had done never departed from him, and his relatives were with him, wherever he was. He had seen them as slaves in Egypt, he had seen them rise in Canaan. They were a continual reminder of where he came from. He could not shed his past, and with it his sanity and his last vestiges of humanity.
But he had believe with every fiber of his being that he was, at least on some level, every bit the monster that Resheph and Sekhmet were. And yet, here he was. Gamaliel was right, he had changed. He had spared the life of a man he hated more than any he had met in ... ever.... He was in love.... Indeed, if he thought about it, he had done a great deal of good in the last five hundred years.... Could it be that, wherever He was, He did not look upon Sebastian as his enemy? Could he possibly still gain ... forgiveness? Something played at the edge of his consciousness, just beyond the edge of awareness. He turned on the television and turned the volume all the way down, watching the news.
Just the usual -- murder, theft, rape, child abuse, mysterious illnesses. Hundreds sickened on Nile River cruise. Freighter taken hostage by Somali pirates. Perhaps Gamaliel was right in another way.... He'd said that vampires were 'as bad as' humans.... It didn't take much to see that there were a lot of humans who were certainly as bad as he'd ever been -- he just had a lot more power than most....
Suddenly, he thoughts were interrupted quite rudely. What now, he wondered as voices were raised in the hall. He crawled out of the bed and opened the door to see Richard arguing with two darkly dressed young men.
"What do you want," Sebastian asked, none too friendly.
The younger looking of the two stepped forward, his hand out. "Consul van der Meer, my name is Horatio Vickers.... This is Roman Sylvano," he added, indicating the man to his left, a man in his twenties who looked the Italian.
Sebastian looked at his hand, but at last did take it. "You're a vampire, but Mr. Sylvano.... Strange ... you seem human...."
Stepping forward, Sylvano drove his hands deep into his pockets, looking around warily. "I am.... I am a Strega...."
"Ah," Sebastian said with a smile. "One does not find many practitioners of the la vecchia religione on these shores.... Since when do the streghe work as enforcers for the council...."
"Roman is accompanying me strictly in an advisorial capacity, consul...."
Looking to Richard, Sebastian said, "Sit with James, please?" The man looked at the two visitors warily, but nodded. "You will excuse us for being a little on edge, gentlemen, but you've come at a very difficult time.... I've sired a vampire who has just awakened...."
Vickers cocked his head to the side with a curious expression. "I'm sorry.... It's just ... I had heard that you didn't ... wouldn't ... turn people...."
Sebastian gave the man a hard look before smiling. He liked the young vampire. "How old are you, Vickers?"
"Around three hundred, sir.... I was born in the colonies...."
Sebastian smiled brightly. "The last time I turned a human was in the 12th century...." He grinned at the startled look on the young man's face. "I'm older than I looked," he said, turning to Sylvano, who nodded appreciatively.
"If I may be so bold, sir," Vickers began, hesitantly.
"You take your life into your own hands," Sebastian said with a serious look, before breaking into a smile at the horrified look on the young man's face. "I'm kidding of course.... Ask away...."
Vickers looked a little gun-shy but he asked anyway -- "Why?"
"Why?"
"Why did you do it? After so long, I mean...."
Sebastian smiled and thought for a moment. "I ... fell in love.... And he was shot, dying in my arms.... Truth be told, I wasn't ready to let go...." Vickers shrugged, but Sylvano caught his eye with a very serious look and very subtly nodded his appreciation. There was something knowing in the look that made Sebastian curious about the dark and mysterious strega. "Vickers, I tell you, don't believe everything you've heard about vampires...."
Vickers laughed and nodded, "I suppose you'd know...."
"Now, what can I do for you gentlemen?"
"We'd like your permission to operate in your region.... Specifically, we're investigating two mysterious disappearances that are potentially sensitive...."
Sylvano spoke now. "Two of my people have disappeared in as many weeks in this very state, consul.... Our representative to the shadow council is very concerned that our interests be defended.... Only a very powerful entity or group could move against so powerful a strega without any sign.... We are ... very concerned...."
Sebastian's eyes flashed. "Why is this the first I am hearing of this? Why, when the first practitioner disappeared, was I not notified at once," he said angrily, mostly to Vickers, knowing the man would pass along his disapproval to the council.
"Well, sir.... One could have been a fluke...."
"Mr. Vickers, as Mr. Sylvano points out, it would take a VERY powerful force to take out a strega without any sign or trace.... I know it well, so one is not a fluke.... Perhaps I have been too lax in overseeing my district.... Or perhaps information is being kept from me...." Sebastian took a moment. "How can I assist you?"
"Well, your permission is all we expected...."
Sylvano took the opportunity however. "Could you spare a couple of operatives? We have a great deal of ground to cover, and time, I fear, is not on our side...." Vickers looked peeved, but nodded.
"Where are you staying?" They told him the name of their hotel and Sebastian took out his phone and texted three of his nearest local operatives to meet the men ASAP. "I've assigned three of my men to meet you at your hotel. Please keep me apprised of your progress.... Oh, and why don't you come by my home for dinner tomorrow?" The men nodded and went on their way. Sebastian walked back to the room where Richard sat dutifully by the bed.
"Is everything alright, Sebastian?"
"No.... Strange things stirring here it seems," he said with a private chuckle, thinking again of his recent encounter with an angel. Strange things indeed.... "Can you look after him for a while longer, my friend? I must go...."
"Of course, Sebastian...."
"Remember, stay close to him when a human is in the room.... Remember how to keep him focused...."
"Go," Richard said with a laugh.
Sebastian waved and disappeared into the darkness. He made a hasty retreat to his home and to his basement, to his bunker and sat at the large desk. Placing his hand on a panel, a computer slid out. He logged onto his computer, then used a special 26-digit code to log onto a sub-network that connected him to the other upper-level leaders of the shadow network. Finding that two other consuls, Pedro Salazar of Central America and Americ Bellanuova of Southern Europe were online, he invited them to video conference.
Americ was the first to respond, his face flashing on the screen with a smile. Americ was a handsome man with classically good looks. He must have been in his mid- to late-thirties when he was turned, as his hair was slightly graying, and he had just a trace of wrinkles around his eyes, but his eyes were bold and smiling. "How are you, my friend?"
"Concerned, Americ...."
"Hmmm," the man replied with a smile.
Just then, Pedro logged on, "To what do I owe the pleasure, Sebastian? Americ!"
"I was just saying.... Two operatives from US West just arrived and tracked me to the hospital to get my permission to investigate the disappearance of two powerful Streghe in my own back yard...."
"Two," Pedro asked with shock.
"So you hadn't heard either? I was wondering if I was being shut out...."
"No one would dare, Sebastian," Americ insisted. "Perhaps the Streghe were keeping it under wraps but when the second disappeared they needed our help?"
"Perhaps.... But the council operative, Vickers, seemed to have known about this for a while...."
Pedro looked concerned for a moment, then pondered out loud, "Is it possible that US West has been compromised?"
Sebastian shook his head. "Christen Wheeler? I don't think so.... I mean, she was one of the few leaders of the witches to get on board with their joining the council...."
"Perhaps she's being undermined," Americ suggested. "Someone within her organization...."
At that moment, all of their screens flashed red, as an alert scrolled across the bottom of the screen: "CODE RED.... EGYPT.... Outbreak on Nile cruise supernatural in origin.... Cover story -- contagious disease requires quarantine.... North African Consul requests teleconference at 10 15 GMT..."
"My friends, it looks as if things are getting hairy," Sebastian said. "Tell me, are your regions having any strange or seemingly unrelated occurrences?"
"Not that I can think of," Americ began. "Wait! You know, there was a strange theft a few weeks ago of an ancient religious artifact from the National Etruscan Museum in Rome.... It was just a funerary jar...."
"Americ, Stregheria as a magical practice is heavily influenced by Etruscan religious practice.... And two strega are missing here...."
"Gentlemen, we may have a problem," Pedro mused. "A few medicine men in my region have gone missing.... We thought perhaps they were gone on a vision quest, but they have still not returned. I wonder.... Is someone moving against traditional witches?"
Sebastian typed out a universal notice: "CODE ORANGE.... All regions, please report any unusual activity involving native/old religions, particularly those with traditions of magic.... Theft of magical objects, missing persons, murders, etc. Consul van der Meer, US East...." To his counterparts, he said, "I have a bad feeling gentlemen.... I'll see you at 10 15...." Americ and Pedro both bade him a quick farewell as they each logged off.
Sebastian searched the system for details of the Egypt incident, but found little detail. Egypt.... Somehow, after all these years, the place still spooked him. He'd never returned. The last time he saw the Sphinx, it was a well-maintained monument with a nose....
Sebastian called Richard to let him know he was going to wait by the computer for the conference with the consul of North Africa and to ask him to apologize to James if he woke up before Sebastian returned. When Musa al-Kisai, the consul of North Africa came online, Simon was the first to connect. A handsome, well-built Arab who looked no more than 22, came up on the screen.
"Greetings, my old friend...."
"Sebastian! To see you makes my weary heart race...."
Sebastian laughed. "It has been too long, you hound.... So, you've seen my alert?"
The man's eyes narrowed and he nodded nervously. "We've been recording faint tremors near the Great Pyramid, the Sphinx and in a location of no importance about 10 miles from the Valley of the Kings.... They aren't earthquakes, and of course no drilling or blasting would be allowed...."
Sebastian looked down and carefully considered what he would say next. "Musa, I am deeply concerned about the site near the Valley of the Kings.... It wouldn't happen to be about 10 miles north northwest from the valley, would it?"
"How did you know this, Sebastian?"
"I was in Egypt once, many years ago.... There was a legend of a subterranean temple complex out there.... We need to get our best people on this as quietly as possible.... Do you have any archeologists on your payroll?"
"We do.... We can have a permit from the Antiquities Ministry by mid-day...."
"If you need brute man-power, I can send some of my men...."
"That would be much appreciated, my friend.... Perhaps you should come yourself.... There is plenty of room in my bed...."
"Musa, there was a time when I would have found that offer impossible to pass up.... But I have found some one ... the one...."
"What is this!? My Sebastian, in love!"
Sebastian smiled in spite of himself. "He is the one for whom I was made, my friend...."
Musa smiled. He was one of the few vampires Sebastian who had ever met who believed in such things, and he was also religious, which Sebastian had once thought a foolish paradox. "God is great, my little Sebastian...."
Musa's face changed to astonishment when his comment was met not by the accustomed reproof, but by a simple and smiling nod. "Perhaps He is, Musa.... Perhaps He is...."
But their exchange was cut short as other consuls and governors (sub-consuls) logged on. When representatives from most geographical regions were logged in, Musa began, "Thank you for heeding my call, ladies and gentlemen.... As of this morning, I can tell you that of 120 passengers on a 3-night Nile River cruise, 80 are dead and the rest remain in quarantine, under my authority. The government of Egypt is standing aside.... There is no evidence of pathogens or poisons, or of terrorism. The seers and healers who have seen the bodies indicate that they do expect the dead to rise...."
A general commotion ensued, and Sebastian leaned in. "Pardon me, Musa, but are you trying to tell us that 80 humans have been turned in a single weekend?"
"No, my friends.... We are awaiting word from an expert who has just flown in from West Africa, but it seems as if these bodies were prepared for zombification...."
The commotion increased, and there was a sense of almost panic among the members. "But why," one delegate demanded. "Surely whoever is responsible must have known we would respond by destroying these ... abominations and hunting down those responsible...."
Sebastian interjected, "I suspect they never expected us to find out before it was too late...."
"Right you are," Musa said, somberly. "We believe that the terrorist expected to kill and reanimate all the passengers, but some survived to call for help.... Had this not happened, a ghost ship full of zombies would have docked in Cairo in two days' time, with disastrous effect...."
"Terrorist is the right word," Sebastian mused angrily. "Someone is threatening to bring our world into view.... We've fought long and hard to prevent this from happening. I have already promised manpower to support the efforts in Egypt and I invite you all to do the same.... In the meantime, I propose we consult the Oracle...."
"Do you really think that that is warranted, Consul van der Meer," a governor from Tibet asked anxiously. "The council hasn't resorted to the Oracle since...."
"I know very well how long it's been.... I myself made the journey in 1943 to face the Oracle when it seems as if all was lost to the Nazis and we would all be exposed.... You will all recall the price I paid for that encounter, so you'll know I do not suggest this lightly...."
A general silence fell over the assembled creatures, and Musa asked, "If you support consulting the Oracle, please indicate your vote by pressing the red button...." Sebastian immediately pressed his, and slowly others began to do the same. In the end, the vote was approved by 75%. Somberly, the man then asked, "Sebastian.... Who shall we ask to undertake this task?" Again, the silence was absolute, and suddenly Sebastian felt a very heavy weight as he weighed the choices. He could go himself again, but with James so newly turned and a danger hanging over them all.... He'd ask Richard, but the man was a bit young to face the Oracle.
"Unless one of you or your governors would like to volunteer," he began with a heavy pause, unsurprised when no one did, "I would like to suggest that we seek the assistance of Avery Salazar...."
Suddenly, the entire assembly was in an uproar, as private conversations and angry shouts broke out across the internet. Inside, Sebastian was grinning, as he shook his head at these "elder" shades.... They could be so childish.