As They Walk Among Us - Chapter 4 - First Sign

The screams from the depths of the castle were painful. He wished that the man would just stop yelling. It wasn’t like he was in any physical pain or anything. Then again, the pain within the mind was just as real as physical pain. Such processes were so tiring though. Sitting up in the bed, he pushed the blankets off his body and stood up on the floor. The screams were truly annoying, but they were a good sign that at least the subject was alive. He lived a lot longer than the others. That was a plus he thought.

The subject before this man only lasted five minutes. This man lasted three months. To last three months in such excruciating pain was so very remarkable, and necessary. Putting his red and black robe, he walked to the door and opened it. There stood two of his guards on each side of the door. Both of them were startled to see him up so late. They stood extra attention and saluted him. “Lord Croix, how may we be of service?”

With a slight wave of his hand he shook his head. “Nothing really, I just couldn’t sleep, and decided to go take a look at how our subject is doing.” As he walked forward, the two guards walked behind him. Croix enjoyed the finer things in life. The walls of every hallway in his castle had paintings of every type. Some were original works of arts from Picasso, while others were actual works from the bowels of hell itself. How he managed to get those paintings was very costly, but worth every ounce of blood. With the marble pillars that stood a good twenty feet apart, each column, it just added to the extravagant tastes he appreciated.

As Croix walked the halls, he rubbed his hands together, anticipating the outcome of this little project of his. If all went well, he would become the most powerful human being in the world. His services to the demonic occult was very pricey, but it was worth it. As long as he paid his dues, his land and castle was never touched or harmed. He could have great power and wealth as long as he followed the orders of his master.

Croix didn’t exactly enjoy such a bargain. Being under the thumb of a demon was below him he thought. His father and his father and his father before him were all royalty. He came from an extensive line of royalty that extended for almost two centuries. To work for something that came out of the ground was almost humiliating if not laughable. At least he was smart enough to make a peace treaty with the foul creatures so that he could keep all of his riches and wealth. He really didn’t care if it took twenty sacrifices a month to his master. Those sacrifices were well needed for his own gain.

He was pulled out of his thoughts from another scream that ricochet down the hallways. This one was way more violent than the others. The sound sent chills of happiness down his spine. He was hoping that this man was the one that would survive and pass all of his experiments. When he found him he knew he would be the one. Something told him that this man would be the one that he wanted. Technically the man found him, walking into his domain lost and confused. When Croix’s guards had brought him in, the man was babbling nonsense. He was claiming to hear voices and see ghosts that were all around. Croix thought he was going to just execute the deranged man and put him out of his misery, but instead he decided to experiment on him. Croix couldn’t be so happier with the results.

The torches in the hallway flicked constantly in the night wind. Only the sounds of their footsteps and the screams of the man down in the foundations of the castle echoed in the hallways. It wasn’t long before they came to a pair of large oak doors. Decorated all over the door were carvings of snakes and skulls. These were clear signs to tell anyone that behind the door was dangerous, and it was dangerous to pass without being killed. Gripping the iron handles he pulled them open. A long row of guards with crossbows notched and pointed welcomed Croix at the breach of the entrance. When they realized who it was, they immediately lowered them. A large man with a rough beard and scar over his left eye stepped forward, giving him a salute. “Lord Croix, what brings you into the labs this late?”

“I came to see how our latest acquisition is holding up Captain Grix.” The big man looked uneasy a little. His big hand rubbed through his beard while the other had it’s thumb hooked in the leather belt.

“Well sir,” he started clearing his throat a little, “that foul creature has been in there with him for the past four hours.”

“The name is Doctor Halberd,” Croix corrected.”

“I am sorry sir, I meant no disrespect,” Captain Grix stated while bowing his head. Croix loved it when his men groveled and feared him. He wasn’t exactly a man that was known for his good nature. If anything, Croix like to think of himself unpredictable. At any moment he would announce a person put to death for no particular reason other than he didn’t like the way they breathed. He believed it kept the people at full alarm, an exertion of his power that was needed to keep his subjects in check.

The door at the end of the room opened up and a figured walked through. The screams were so loud from within the room that it made the two guards with him flinch. As the she closed the door behind herself, she looked up with yellow eyes from the stack of papers in her arms, noticing Croix. “Ah Doctor Halberd, how is our patient?”

If she wasn’t a demon, Croix would have thought of Doctor Halberd as a beautiful woman. Her light grey skin, yellow eyes and very feminine features were noticeable. What was also noticeable was the thin tail that hung behind her, barely touching the floor. At most times she kept it wrapped around her waist under the lab coat that she normally wore on top of her black blouse and black dress. But at times you could tell just what kind of mood she was in by first looking at her tail. Croix could tell she was in a good mood because the tail didn’t twitch, but sway when she moved.

Doctor Halberd was just as dangerous as she was beautiful. She was brilliant also. Nothing made her more happy than experimenting on human beings. Croix made sure he provided her with enough humans to keep her happy. Standing there, he didn’t even realize that the guards had made a pathway for her. They all feared her. One time she was so furious at one of her experiments not going the way it was. She was so mad that as a guard was walking past doing his rounds in the room, she used her tail as a whip. The shear force of it took his head right off. That was just the pre-show. She spent a clear thirty minutes mutilating the body out of rage, and forced all the men to watch her do it. Ever since that day, no one even dared to take a patrol within range of that tail of hers. That never stopped her from finding other ways to vent her frustrations.

Looking into Croix’s eyes, she pulled her tail up around her waist, and lowered the papers. He has never seen her smile once. Even when she was happy, she never smiled. “Patient seems to be taking well to the augments and implants. That screaming is his human physiology graphing with the demonic physiology. He should be ready for first rounds of testing within the week Croix.”

Croix was pleased with that sort of news. He was almost ready to begin his plans and he thought that it was time to celebrate such a momentous occasion. “Thank you very much Doctor Halberd. I think in the afternoon I will hold a banquet in your honor. For your loyalty and deeds of making my dream a reality.”

“I would be honored Lord Croix,” bowing her head she gave no real show of enthusiasm or emotion that she was happy, she never did when it didn’t involve working. As she returned her vision to Croix she stood there, her arms pulled behind her back, holding her work. “If it isn’t too much to ask, I’d like to return to my work before your banquet Croix. I have many thing I need to look into.”

“Sure thing Doctor Halberd. I would not like to disturb your work for my goals.” His thin hands rubbed together, as if gaining warmth by a fire. His smile was evident as Croix turned his back and walked out of the room. With the large doors being pulled behind by the guards, they were once again at his heels.

The screams that came from the other side of those doors were music to his ears. He would soon gain higher standing than the owner of a small land. Soon Croix would get the world and his ambitions would not allow him to stop just there. With each fleeting second that went by, was one second closer. He thought he might scream himself from the ample joy of it all. His breathing was rising and his heartbeat was erratic. This feast of his would be grandiose. This feast would mark the first sign of being the new ruler of the world and more.