Ricky sat up with a jolt. The plane had landed, Warner and the other two were no where in sight, but she could hear shouting outside. She grabbed her bag and carefully made her way to the hatch, peeking around to analyze the situation. Wherever they had landed, it was close to sunset, the portion of the landing strip she could see was worn and cracked, a few weeds coming up here and there. The air felt slightly dusty, but cool. A few older outbuildings, little more than sheds, sat between the landing strip and the hills beyond. But just outside the plane was 4 men with rifles, another manning a machine gun fixed to the back of a jeep, all of them with their attention fixed on Warner standing at the base of the steps with the other two flanking him. The men were shouting in Russian, Ricky didn't speak the language, but she knew enough to recognize it. Warner was responding back in another language she did not quite recognize. Whatever he was saying, the men with the guns did not seem to like it.
Suddenly the two other vampires moved and were behind the closest two armed men. As quick as they were it was difficult to follow their movements, but she saw enough to know the vampires broke the men's necks then rushed the other riflemen, each knocking one to the ground and within seconds blood soaked them. It was gruesome, and distracting, for when Ricky looked to see where Warner had been, she noticed he somehow had pinned down the man from the jeep. Ricky worked her way down the plane's stairs, and closer to Warner and man,fully expecting to see a bloody mess like the other two had made, but instead she saw his clothes and face were clean, and the Russian soldier seemed unharmed, other than staring blankly as if he were half asleep.
"What exactly happened? Where are we?" Ricky asked Warner.
The other two vampires were standing over their victims now, wiping their chins before grabbing the corpses and carrying them back to the plane.
Warner turned away from the dazed soldier and smiled. "Welcome to Bombora Airfield, in the Republic of Georgia. Sorry for the mess, the Russian's currently control this airbase, and they don't like it when we stop by. I tried telling them we are not military and just passing through, but they can be so persistent about protocols and procedures and honestly they love wasting our time. But this fellow here," he placed his arm around the soldier's shoulders as if they were good friends, "Ilya here, is going to be a pal and watch after the plane for us, and make sure none of his other friends give us anymore trouble." The soldier, Ilya, nodded in his daze.
Ricky shook her head in disbelief. "How on earth did you manage that?"
"Eh, influencing the mind to do certain tasks is easy. Some of my siblings can even plant new memories in a person's head, sure wish I could figure that out, beyond my skill." Warner spoke so matter of fact, as if he were discussing the weather or the color of a pen.
The other vampires had left the plane, after changing their clothes thankfully, and had found another jeep, this one without a gun mounted to it. Warner and Ricky hopped in and they sped away down a dirt road leading into the hills. The wind whipped through their hair as they bounced along the rutted path.
"Warner, do your friends have names?" Ricky asked as they drove over bumps and dips.
"Of course!" he replied with a grin. "The tall one is Luca, the other is Alessio, I picked them up in Palermo. They tried to rob me in a ally," Warner winked.
After about a hour of Alessio's driving, he stopped, him and Luca just waiting as if for Warner to give them a command. Warner simply hopped out of the jeep and began stretching. Ricky got out as well, looking around at the emptiness around them. Rocky hills in the darkness, nothing else to be seen.
"Hope you are ready for some exercise," Warner called to her as he and Alessio started up one of the hills. Luca seemed to be waiting on her so he could take up the rear position. Ricky adjusted the strap on her bag and began after them.
The moon was out, the sky fairly cloudless, and the landscape was devoid of any sound beyond that of their shoes on the loose rock. They had been hiking for about two hours when Warner stopped and Luca and Alessio ran off ahead.
"Are you ready?" Warner asked with a hint of playfulness.
"For what?" Ricky asked in return. As far as she could tell they were half way up a mountain in the middle of nowhere.
Warner grabbed her hand and led her around a few larger rocks to the opening of a cave. Luca and Alessio were there, along with three others, all of them just watching silently as Warner led her inside. The cave was dimly lit by flickering torches, casting dancing shadows on the rough stone walls. But the deeper in they went, the more complex it became. Lanterns providing an abundance of light, fine rugs in dozens of styles, doorways even. It looked as if someone had chilled out the inside of the cave to make a home, and a large one at that. There were corridors leading to large rooms, staircases, and decor all around.
And they certainly were not alone, dozens of men in clothing from different cultures and times were there, a man dressed in Victorian fashion was seated at a small table drinking Brandy, another man dressed in the fashion of the Italian renaissance walked past with a stack of books and scrolls. There were other men there dressed plainly, in more modern attire, but they had a feel about them, like they were old souls. "Welcome to our sanctuary," Warner said, gesturing around.
Ricky leaned closer to Warner, to ask about the historical garments, and he responded before she could open her mouth. "Some of my brothers are trapped in the past, they miss the era's that they grew up in so much they just refuse to adapt, so they stay here reminiscing on their past. Most however embrace the changes in society, venturing out after 10-15 years or so, getting to experience all the wonders and joy the world has to offer."
A man in one of the doorways motioned to Warner, and they walked over to him. He was dressed more modern, a light blue silk shirt half unbuttoned, black slacks, and suede shoes. He has tousled black hair, and eyes so blue that practically glowed. Ricky was sure this was the most handsome man she had ever seen. "Warner," the man greeted, his voice smooth, with just a hint of an accent that Ricky couldn't quite place. "Mother is waiting for you and your… guest" he said, reaching out to touch Ricky's cheek. She pulled away from him before his fingers could land on her skin. He chuckled and turned, walking back down the corridor he had come from.
Once the man was far enough away Warner turned to her laughing "oh wow, David likes you! It will break his heart to find out you aren't into that sort of thing!" Warner composed himself with effort. "Well now, can't keep Mother waiting."
They went down a slew of corridors before rounding a corner to a set of double doors with a guard outside. The hulking man eyed her suspiciously but let them pass. Inside was a lavishly decorated chamber, the outer rim lined with all sorts of items that looked as if they belonged in a museum. Pottery, jewelry, dresses, primitive paintings, stone statues. In the center, sitting on a plush, oversized chair with pillows and cushions all around her, was a beautiful woman in her late 50's. She had dark hair streaked in silver that fell to her waist in waves. Her eyes were a sort of medium brown with bursts of amber at the center. She had lips that were plump and looked stained by wine. Her skin was olive toned and looked velvet smooth. She was beautiful enough to make Ricky's heart beat quicken and her face flush. This woman seemed more a goddess than a queen.
Warner approached her and kissed her cheek then took a seat on one of the cushions in front of her, motioning for Ricky to sit as well. She chose a cushion next to Warner, and a servant came into the room carrying a tray of food and an ornate decanter. The food smelled delicious, flat bread, figs, hummus, cheeses and olives. The scent mingled with the incense burning quietly from a brazier in the corner. The servant offered her wine from the decanter, and considering her company she hesitated, but after a nod from Warner she accepted.
"My son thinks highly of you. He suggests you are to be trusted with our secrets and can be counted on to help us." The queen spoke softly, a hint of doubt in her voice. Ricky swallowed hard, feeling the weight of those words settle over her like a mantle of responsibility.
Ricky looked at Warner as if for direction, but he was focused on the food that he was busy devouring, paying no mind to the tense silence that followed his Mother's words.
"I can be trusted. But trust must go both ways. Can I trust my safety in a den of vampires?" Ricky asked.
The queen's eyes glinted with amusement, her lips curving into a mysterious smile. "Oh, I like you. Not afraid to speak your mind. You remind me of myself once." The Queen took a sip of wine and smiled. "Yes, you can trust us, we are not the monsters that humans have made us out to be."
A sense of relief washed over her. With her safety assured, it was time to get down to business. "Alright, tell me everything, starting with your name."
The queen looked taken aback, she glanced at Warner and back to Ricky, "why my dear, did no one tell you who you were here to meet?" Ricky was confused, but curious. The queen leaned close, "My name, is Lilith."