Fiction:Red Harmony

Turmoil at La Petite Mort
The sun had sunk behind the horizon once more, leaving the world bathed in the evening darkness. Throughout the halls and corridors of the archaic monument to all mortal sins and pleasures, the chateau of colossal proportions that had found itself merged into the very face of a mountainous ascent, men and women and those few in-between and neither did as they had always done; alcohol was swigged and swallowed in all directions while the music that accompanied those burlesque dancers upon the stages bellowed across all ears. Dances were had as much as they were given, and all deiwes and beastmen present found themselves sharing the warm atmosphere within La Petite Mort as snow caked its exterior.

And yet there was but one soul that remained uninvolved with it all. Confined to her quarters and her rather gothic office, the mistress that headed the flow of business and funds of the booming establishment, the Red Countess herself, found herself skimming and passing through document after document of irritance and uninformative notification. At a far corner of one of the larger, more grande halls, a bar was already overcome with drunkards and sleaze, using what remained of their slurred tongues to order round after round of drink to drive themselves further into their stupor. The tender - an, dressed in expensive and sophisticated clothing - served these rounds and polished cups when he found himself out of orders to serve, and he appeared to be enjoying the overall atmosphere of the evening as he tapped his hooved foot to the rhythm of the music.

A hooded man, seemingly a regular human who appeared to be in his twenties, approached the bar as he gazed around the bar and the people in it. Taking a seat, he signaled over to the large minotaur in order to get his attention, tapping his fingers against the desk as he did so.


 * Man - You. Bull man. Gimme your strongest liquor.
 * Oevrumine - Ah, liquor stronk! ... Strong... Strongest liquor! That be Garrus... No, Gandal-- Garandharul! Garandharul knockout brew, straight from dwarves!

The Oevrumine smiled as he delicately handled a pint-sized glass and held it beside a barrel, twisting a mechanism at its side to allow its contents to pour into the glass while he hummed and panted excitedly. After several moments, he turned himself back towards the man and passed him the glass with a swift movement, almost slamming it onto the counter as he could barely control his joy. The man looked at the alcohol he had been given and quickly drank it, all in one gulp, something a normal man would surely not be able to do without at least wincing in discomfort. This person, however, remained completely different as he raised himself and slowly getting up into the table. He gazed at the minotaur's back as a smirk grew on his mouth, a serpentine tougue making itself visible as he licked his lips.

The minotaur merely went back to polishing glasses and cups as it hummed to the music that had been orchestrated, having already forgotten the bizarre man's presence and request after having fulfilled it and simply becoming caught up in his own jolly venture, helping himself to a small shot of what appeared to be rum while everyone's attention was elsewhere. A happy, non-hostile minotaur was a sight alien to most that knew of their existence and reputation. The Oevrumine's attention was obtained once again once he felt an extremely strong push against his back as he man tackled him, his body being engulfed in darkness and appearing once against as a wrecked, demonic-looking beast with immense fangs. Horns decorated the monster's head and his eyes grew in an intense red, his fingers turning into powerful claws and large leathery wings growing on his back as he let out a blood-curled howl.


 * Incubus - Let the feast commence!

The minotaur's screams sounded as roars as it was taken by surprise, the daemonic entity attached to its hide digging its claws into its thick, muscular and meaty flesh. The beast writhed and struggled to balance itself as the sudden trauma had caused it to become irrational and panicked, and before even itself and the demon attached to its back could register, the immense Oevrumine launched itself unpredictably from where it stood and sent itself - and in turn the vampiric being - through the shelves and stacks of drink and glasses behind it, throwing itself through dense wood and iron in an attempt to rid itself of the bothersome creature. As the blood-sucking Incubus and the Oevrumine struggled with one another, more individuals rose around the bar as well as the rest of the brothel, manifesting weapons such as daggers and shortswords by channeling dark energy. Their large fangs clearly showed they were vampires, and they soon began menacing the people of La Petite Mort, their glaring eyes clearly thirsting for blood.

As the chaos began to erupt within the halls of La Petite Mort, the manager resided upstairs, at the highest peak of the establishment, without much clue. As she signed and waded through papers and parchments, she would only turn her attention as she lifted her head and watched as a fair-haired woman of human descent approached through her office door, a panicked look on her face as sweat dripped from her cheeks.


 * Dragostea - Miss Opelflover, I vould greatly appreciate if zhe next time you zhink to enter my premises you have zhe patience to kno--
 * Woman - M-My apologies, mistress... B-But there's a f-fight downstairs! B-Big fight! ... Fangs and blood everywhere! E-Even... E-Even the minotaur got involved.
 * Dragostea - Vhat? Vhat are you saying girl?
 * Woman - I... I-I think t-there are v-vampires downstairs... m-mistress...

Getting through off the Oevrumine's back, the Incubus delivered kicks to the minotaur's back with his hooves to knock him away as he flapped his wings in order to stay slightly above the ground. The demon turned his attention to the rest of the brothel and began gazing around, licking his own lips once more as his vampires cohorts threatened and menaced the individuals inside the establishment with their weapons.


 * Incubus - So! Who of you will feed me? And who of you will feed me? I better get volunteers otherwise I'll have to pick the lucky ones myself!
 * Oevrumine - You... You no welcome here! Ughard-- Gah, no like leeches... No like red water...
 * Incubus - Stand down, cow. I'll have my way with you soon.

As the Incubus made his presence known and assured the inferiority, a cold breeze tapped across the spines of both his vampiric colleagues and those of his prey. Even the felled minotaur backed away, his teeth chittering, as the air's temperature began to lower and the lights dimmed, the candles flickering until they were rendered naught. Light layers of frost formed across the walls and floor, alerting the Incubus to an incoming presence with a cold, intimidating and harsh grandeur. The vampires became intimidated by the sudden change in temperature as they backed away while their Incubus leader looked for the source of this new presence, a tooth-filled grin on his face as he groaned in impatience.

From the far side of the hall, opposite to the entrance, those civilians that had gathered onto the stages backed away as they watched as, draped in a flowing dress of bloody red with wings outstretched and eyes illuminated, Dragostea herself stepped into view with her claws, bloodied with the essence of unfortunate vampires, hung at her sides. She licked her blackened lips as her eyes gazed upon the Incubus and his serfs, and watched as they had intimidated her clients into submission.


 * Dragostea - Vhat... do you zhink you're doing?
 * Incubus - Ah, finally! The Red Countess! Aren't you a succulent-looking thing. It's a shame I have to rip you apart, because I'd love to make you my little broken toy.
 * Dragostea - How utterly pitiful of you to address me vizhout so much as a hint of formalizy. Mmm, you are positively vile already, I can tell. But in case you are blind, yes, I am zhe Red Countess and zhis is my home. My territory. And as zhe daughter of zhe Count, I must request zhat you leave my premises at once.
 * Incubus - Your Count is a weak, miserable fool, 'auntie'. I serve a much better master. And I'm not leaving this place until nothing but cinders remain.
 * Dragostea - You can relax, pig. Ve have defeated and renounced Analuhati, you have little reason to be so... miserable now. You are no longer under his hypnosis.
 * Incubus - I'm sick of talking! I'm urging for a fight and I'm horny as hell! Come here!

The Incubus roared as launched himself at Dragostea's direction, his claws readied as he left an trail of dark magic behind him. Dragostea growled as she stretched her bloodied, slender fingers and allowed them to become engulfed in her own dark energies, watching the Incubus' every move much like a predatory feline, her seductive eyes keeping track of him with machinelike efficiency. Taking a step forward, she bared her fangs and entered a defensive stance, her wings curling around her. The Incubus sent a flurry of claw swipes at the Succubus, aiming to cut through her soft, sultry skin and force her into submission. All the beast had in mind at this point was all the terrible things he could do to her once this encounter was concluded.

Dragostea felt her leathery wings become pounded and swiped by the Incubus' supernaturally sharp claws and could feel their very membranes become ravaged by his assault. Switching to become more offensive, she threw her wings forward to take her assailant by surprise and dashed forward a step, clasping her fingers on one hand together to try and 'stab' through part of the Incubus' muscular torso, her patience tested.


 * Dragostea - Zhere is little reason for your transgression here! Leave vizh your bandits now and I vill allow you to merely live in agony!
 * Incubus - Urk! I don't take orders from you! I only take orders from Count Mellowsun! Zran Kar eternal!

Blood poured out of the Incubus as Dragostea's fingers dug through his muscles, and he responded by manifesting dark energy in his palm and launching it at the Succubus' face, with the intention of making her back away from him. He also attempted sending his hooves at her legs, aiming for the knees. The dark energy caused Dragostea to reel with the sudden attack, although claws had managed to clench onto and grasp around the more sturdy and stubborn tissues within the Incubus' chest, causing her to tug on them as a result of her reaction. Baring her teeth, she used a free hand to swipe at one of the legs that he had sent at her own while her red eyes glowed viciously, like a stalker within the night as it loomed over its hapless prey. From the fingers trapped within his flesh, the Incubus could feel sharp ice begin to manifest across his innards.


 * Dragostea - Count... Mellowsun? ... A pawn of Analuhati, surely. And to become a pawn of a deposed ruler is a sign of your incompezence, vhelp!
 * Incubus' - Hnnngh! Y-you're hot but you talk t-too damn much!

The Incubus winced and thrashed in pain as he felt his insides become covered in freezing ice, using all the strength he could muster to make Dragostea back off. Some of his subordinates charged at the Succubus with their weapons in hand, intending to aid their commander. Before any of them could hope to land a blow upon the Red Countess' luscious skin, they were either crushed or crippled as the dense, wooden mass of at least a ton was launched at them from afar; the Oevrumine, recuperating from the prior assault, had launched the bar counter at the intruding vampires with what strength he could muster and allowed a bestial roar to flow from his lungs and throat with pride. Meanwhile, the Red Countess slid a free hand across the Incubus' thigh as he was caught within her icy grasp and felt obliged to a groping of his crotch package - an encounter that concluded swiftly with her talons burying themselves through his skin and muscle tissues once more, while the hand lodged into his torso drove its way towards the Incubus' chest and heart.

Dragostea - ''Oh, ve vere fighzing? I hadn't noticed.''

The Incubus let out a loud, demonic roar which shook the ground beneath tehm, his fanged teeth and gums forcing themselves out of his mouth as his most vulnerable spots were hurt by Dragostea. At this point, there was little he could do to stop her. With a frown upon her face and spittles of the Incubus' blood on her lipstick, Dragostea's fists tightly clenched around whatever it was they happened to have been wrapped around to the point that her otherwise soft yet cold hands had now become crushing vices. She could feel the contents of the Incubus' package and chest burst and coat her palms with blood and liquidized bio-debris, his innards squeezing through the gaps of her fingers as she devastated his body beyond any imaginable repair. She stared harshly into the Incubus' eyes, and spoke;

Dragostea - You should have kept me talking.

The Incubus roared again, loud enough to blow Dragostea's hair away as his skin turned into flames which burned on her grasp, reducing the demon's body to cinders, with the single exception of his skeleton which crumbled down into the floor. His charred skull received similar treatment as she lowered her arms and took a step forward, her heel perched atop of it like a bird until she crushed it into bone matter moments afterward. She stared towards whatever vampires had remained and wiped the blood from her hands across her sleek and slender form, her sides, hips and shoulders used to cleanse her fingers and palms of the mess she had made. She said little else, merely licking her lips with a disapproving glare. The vampires all panicked as the Incubus who lead them laid dead before their eyes, and they all retreated as fast as they could, disappearing among the shadows of the brothel. Some were less fortunate and were cut down by the guards before they had a chance to escape.

As she watched the vampires flee in their terrified state, the Succubus exhaled agitatedly before turning to the Oevrumine that had tended to the bar and saw his sophisticated and classy suit had been reduced to tatters, shredded to utter pieces as a result of the conflict. The Incubus' words still rang within her head, the mention of the one he called "Count Mellowsun" bothered her particularly, causing her frown to fall lower into a scowl. To think that there were still members of her kin that willingly gave themselves to the god she and her allies - her family - had dedicated themselves to fighting not long before now was sickening to her. She had been left with a foul taste upon her salivating tongue.


 * Dragostea - Mhinos, are you quite alright?
 * Mhinos - M-Mama... L-Leeches came, attacked Mhinos... Tried not to fight, not lie. Tried to serve like told... Mhinos sorry, mama.
 * Dragostea - Do me a favour Mhinos; clean yourself up and get zhese people to safety. Give zhem drinks to help calm zheir nerves.
 * Mhinos - I-Is mama a-angry with Mhinos?
 * Dragostea - ... No, you did somezhing good zhis day. Now excuse me, Mhinos, I have a matter to attend to, to ensure zhis does not happen again.

Watching the Succubus stroll beyond sight once more and feeling graced with her presence tonight - feeling even more blessed by her praise - the Oevrumine, Mhinos, smiled faintly to himself as he began to approach those that had survived the vampiric onslaught. With his mighty arms, he carried those that could not walk to the safety of the remains of his bar and, just as he had done prior, began to treat them with whatever liquor he could find while the establishment's dedicated guard tended to the medical matters.

The Red Countess' wings folded as she placed her fingertips to her lips and allowed her tongue to glide over the remnants of the Incubus' gore that had lodged themselves between her fingers. It took only a matter of moments before she found herself spitting them out once more with pure, unrelenting disgust.