Kael Cor: A Vampire's Awakening Chapter 4 Awakening IV : The Pi

These pillars spread as far as the eye could see, and doors and windows could be seen on their surfaces, truly giving it an appearance of a tower with multiple floors. On each floor or level where a residence has been hollowed out in the pillar, a wooden platform was built, it served as a balcony and a landing spot for the pulley like elevator that was nestled snugly at the side of all the pillars. I did not know how a couple of prisoners got their hands on iron or much lest a smith or engineer that could forge the elevator, but it was right there and I could see people using it.

However not every tower was equipped with this elevator, some just had simple baskets, and a rope they had to pull to ascend. Others had shoved thick planks of wood into the side of the pillars to make stairs. I was impressed even with all this gloom and darkness the vampires had made the most of what they had and carved a life for themselves here. It was not much of a life, but it was still something.

But unlike the tunnel I took to arrive here, this massive cavern, if I should call it that, since It was more like an underground city, only it was made to hold an entire race for captive.

The cavern was illuminated by the seals that littered the tunnel wall, massive clumps of colorful symbols that were painted on it. And much like the seal on my arm, the ones on the wall were active and moving. I could see lamps all over the tower glowing and shining an eerie green light from their positions on the pillar walls. Though it was for only some places, others were red, one white and the last one blue.

It seemed to me that the color of the light was used to divide the cavern into areas or something. However the color of the light also seem to denote a hierarchy as the red and white lights were in areas that had the metal elevators and looked infinitely more better and cleaner than the other area. The green was in the district that had the basket pulley system, while the blue looked to be in the poorer area and had the wooden stairs.

From where I was standing, I was on a ledge overlooking the cavern, I suspected I was also standing from the south side. A set of precariously positioned stairs littered the cavern wall, and I had to take it to get down from the ledge. I felt Asare nudge me forward and we began to descend.

I would have loved to start a conversation with him, but I was to enamored by the sights in front of me. Apart from all the colored areas of the cavern, there was an area that was only illuminated by torches that glowed the normal orange of fire. From what I could see from here, it seemed to be a market and there was a lot of people there, clamoring and haggling for wares. I could see children running through the streets of all the districts, and some better dressed than the others. And along with them I saw the werewolves, running routine patrols through every street they could pass through. A few of the guard squads also had humans in command of them. There were so much of a fascination that I could see the playing children and a few mothers staring at them as the walked past.

But those were for the white and red districts, at the others I could see the guards beating on a few helpless vampires and dark elves. And even with their plea for mercy the guards did not stop. In other more unsavory sights I could see ****, torture. And all those things left me shaken as I finally descended to the floor of the cavern, and my vantage position was cut off.

At the end of the stairs, I was still being stared at by vampires and dark elves that climbed to the top, all of them with their baskets just like the others I met at the crossroads. Even the guards were looking at me, though their gazes were more of contempt and disgust. To be honest seeing a werewolf trying to look disgusted is disgusting. Their facial muscles was not made for that kind of rigor. The humans however pulled it off perfectly, in my opinion they were natural scowlers. But I doubt such a word existed though.

So as not to repeat what happened, I tried my best to ignore them even though they were all bowing. I remembered Asare's disapproved look from before not to mention the contingent of armed guards, I couldn't do anything that would bring any more attention to myself, especially unwanted attention. But I could very well not ignore them either so I made sure to look them all in the eye as best as I could. I gave a simple nod too for good measure.

It helped to a certain extent, as i could see light swimming in their sights, and then I saw something that truly shook me to my core. As soon as the stairs ended, there was a pillar in front of me, with the amount of guards going in and out of it, I suspected it was an outpost for them. But the bone of contention however was not just the hundreds of vampire corpses that were hung from earthen spikes that extended from the surface of the tower. It was also the words

LONG LIVE KAEL COR.

I knew for a fact that the people hanging dead from those spikes were the ones who wrote that, not to mention the entire thing was written in blood. It was now not much of a surprise to me why all the guards looked at me like I was the pile of shit beneath their boots. And so for the 799 I wondered who the hell am I, or to be more accurate who or what kind of person was I, and what did I do to make so many people believe in me while incurring the hate of others, powerful others if I might add.

I felt suffocated, a life that I did not remember was deciding the way I was being treated, it was carving a path for me to follow long before I could even decide that I wanted to follow a path. I was swept up in a wave of random scenarios that I couldn't understand or comprehend. I knew I was some sort of activist, but now I knew I was more than that. I was most probably an insurgent, a rebel, I couldn't really be sure though. But what I am now is a martyr, and that was a whole other dose of crazy and dangerous.

I could feel it even before it was thrown in my face; responsibility. Responsibility for the people who were now hanging from those spikes, I knew something of a vampires constitution and I knew they would have suffered a lot before they died. Not to mention I felt responsibility for every single soul that has bowed to me since this day started. Adein had warned me that he did not want any equality propaganda crap in his prison, but the way I see, I don't think I would have a choice.

Asare led me into the outpost as I left the dim glow of the cavern into a brightly lit hall. Every single one of this pillars or towers are about 500 meters in diameter, so the hall was quite large. Not to mention this tower was different, instead of it being hollowed from outside by floors or levels, this was hollowed out from the ground up, it was like a shell and subsequent floors were built as the workers carved upwards. There was an elevator in here, one even more better than the ones seen in the red and white areas.

Not to mention it used electricity. The floors were polished tiles and I could see my face on them. Though not clearly enough but a regular image. Come to think of it, I don't know what I look like, I have never been bothered about it before, but the thought of it just crossed my mind. I wondered if I was ugly, I am not sure I could stand it if I was ugly.

I walked straight ahead to a counter made of polished wood where an obese human woman was sitting. Like almost every human I had seen, her hair was blond and her skin was pale, very pale. But this woman had a streak of red going through her hair, it matched wrongly with her blond hair making me question her fashion sense. Assuming she even has one that is.

"name, and age please."

Contrary to her rather unsavory appearance she actually had a nice voice. But it only took her about ten seconds to mutter filthy beast under her breath for me to rescind my opinion about her voice, as far as I was concerned her voice was no better than that of a toad. Asare chose to answer for me though, which I was grateful for. I was not yet free from the slew of shocking encounters I just had.

"Kael Cor, age nineteen."

At that the woman stopped scribbling in the book that was nestled in front of her and took a long hard stare at me. I felt naked under her scrutiny, I could not help it as I started fidgeting and leaning on the balls of my feet. This woman had a style of intimidation I was sure Adein couldn't match.

She smiled at me, like seriously smiled at me. She even winked and I couldn't help the shudder that ran through my body at the implication of that. Then she stamped on a couple of papers and then tossed a medallion of sorts to me.

"Blue district, sector five area seven tower ten. I hope you enjoy your stay with us"

I don't think she had any intentions for me to enjoy my stay. And to be honest I was quite bummed that she had assigned me to the blue district. It was what went for a slum in this prison. After we left the tower a rail car that let out a lot of suspicious looking gray smoke came to a stop in front of us. I was so surprised because I did not even noticed the rails that ran through the entire districts.

We mounted it, well got in would be more accurate, and it started moving on its own. I was a little freaked out, but whatever. I turned to Asare and asked him.

"why did that woman put me in the blue district. And how is it that this cart can move on its own."

Asare did not seem to be in the mood of answering anything. He kept on looking forward with an as much stoic expression that he could muster, and kept his mouth shut. Until the cart picked up speed. I could feel the wind whipping past my hair and getting into my eyes. But it was at this moment Asare decided to speak.

"the rail car is enchanted. But I can't identity what magic medium was used. It takes orders from the caretaker. Also all new prisoners are always put in the blue district. Each district houses at least four thousand pillars or more. And each sectors has about two to three hundred pillars, and each area has thirty to forty towers or more.

Each towers grows to a height of about, three thousand feet, with a confirmed five hundred meters in circumference. On average each towers should have about a 40 to sixty floors. With each floor housing a particular prisoner or family.

The other districts are for prisoners with better treatment. And that can only be achieved when you have deposited a certain amount of mined ores. For the vampires their currencies are ores and blood. The vampires rely on blood to survive, apart from the gnome tribes and the humans and werewolves left here as guards and wardens. The vampires are the only ones that trade in blood.

The rest use the ores that are mined. Every prisoner is also required to mine and submit ten baskets of common orhicalum ore a week. If you have a better quality ore the quota is reduced to five and if you have the best quality you only need to turn in one basket in exchange for rations. Any other excess ore can be kept and used for trade in the market.

Any vampire who does not meet the quota will not be given any rations and will be subjected to a public execution on a bad day, or a public humiliation in which case the person is striped and flogged to within an inch of his life. The females however will have no choice but to be raped in turn by at least three hundred of the werewolves guardsman. Most of them don't survive it.

Also apart from that each district is ran by a vampire elder who almost certainly have gangs and other servants below them. Each of them are always looking for ways to take over the next district as that means more resources. The leaders require a basket of ore from their subject every two weeks. It's a lot better than their jailers, but it is still one extra basket.

All the lords are always embroiled in a political struggle, so stay away from them and find some people to protect you. Without access to your system and memories, you are weaker than a baby. Though your body might remember how to fight, so if you have time have it teach your mind, you always were one of the best fighters I have ever met."

He paused for a while to catch his breath, while I also took a moment to digest everything I had just learnt. Then I heard him start talking again and shifted my attention back to him.

"the tower you were given has not been hollowed out into a residence, so all you have to your name is a massive round block of stone. You could use the ores you gain, and have gnomes carve and make a home for you. The way to their warren can be found from the crossroads, and no they are not prisoners, they lived here long before this place was made a prison. But they are good builders and diggers. Not as much as the dwarves though, but they can get you a home made for a price of course.

I told you before it was better if you did not remember anything about your past, and I was right. This people will look to you for leadership, you are nineteen, just a boy and you have lost your memories. Avoid them, tell them you are not who they think you are and keep your head down. Any body turned into a vampire needs at least a year before they complete the transition. It's the reason why you only now discovering your fangs and claws, and for the next three years you will still keep on aging because your heart still beats. But you will have an almost uncontrollable blood lust, so please stay away from people. After three years your heart will finally stop beating and you would evolve to the next tier on the vampire evolution. A Nosferatu, what you do after that is your problem. But as a Revenant you do not have the full powers and capabilities of a vampire, even a human child with a strength factor of (1 tier) will totally decimate you. So keep away from people and survive as much as you can for as long as you can."

I couldn't say anything to him. I knew Asare was only trying to look out for me, and part of me wanted to agree wholeheartedly with what he just suggested, but. I need to know who I was, I need to know why this people would put their lives on the line and die in my name. Why every time they looked at me the would bow and smile.

I need to know why I was locked up, what the world really was like and what was my place in it. Surviving was good and all, but it was not for me. Without my past, I couldn't see how I could have a future. Besides I don't think keeping myself away from people will work, what was keeping them from coming to me. Maybe the place I was assigned to was far away from the other vampires . But they were willing to die and be hung from earthen spikes like some sort of trophy.

I have a responsibility to them, to myself, to my name. I needed to know why they were imprisoned and most importantly I wanted to find a way to get this damn seal away from my wrist. Because after Adein's visit last night, the hum and buzz I felt from the tattoo has increased in volume and intensity. Because as of this moment, I could read it.

Chapter end