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The Cadre of La Bella Obscuridad
20:53 Oct 30 2024
Times Read: 176


Halloween Contest Entry

Prologue: The Cadre

In the depths of beautiful darkness lies The Cadre- a brotherhood of kin devoted to the wild hunt, where visceral instincts embrace the freedom to roam and feed. Known only within the sacred walls of The House, these individuals are the most fearsome avengers, their unrestrained thirst for slaughter and relentless hunger earning them a dreadful reputation that echoes even in the shadows of the night.

Each member of The Cadre wields unique gifts that enhance their already formidable vampiric abilities, turning them into living nightmares.

The Shapeshifter- she glides through the throngs of beings, slipping between identities and forging false alliances. With a cunning mind, they manipulate trust, setting rivals against one another before striking when the time is ripe for elimination.

The Eyes- traversing the astral planes, seeking the energetic signatures of enemies. They roam through misty realms, guided by the gossamer threads of intuition until the target's aura crystallizes, revealing the depths of their true self- stripped of flesh and laid bare in this ethereal expanse.

The Seductress- she ensnares all who encounter her subtle energies. With allure both intoxicating and deceptive, she whispers sweet desires into the minds of her victims, her presence a siren's call that sweeps across the collective human psyche like a gentle breeze through ripened wheat fields.

The High Priest- bound to the metaphysical realm, a conduit of potent magick that requires the sustenance of lesser beings to maintain their formidable power. They draw upon this sacrificial energy, weaving spells that echo through the fabric of reality.

The Servant— not lesser than the others by any means; he serves as the lynchpin of this infernal coven. Through them flows the emotions and energies of the Cadre, a bridge between beings that inspires both admiration and terror, even among kin who dare to associate.

Together, they form a dread symphony, in a dark harmony that resonates with the primal urges of the night, ready to unleash their wrath upon the enemies of The House.



Part One: Mission Briefing

In the dimly lit sanctuary of the House, the air is thick with anticipation as the members of The Cadre gather around a heavy, ornate oak table, its surface pockmarked by the repeated tapping of pens, cups and at times, knives, through the centuries. A single flickering candle casts eerie dancing shadows, which only partially illuminates the faces of each of the team.

The High Priest stands at the head of the table, a commanding presence calling to attention.
“Tonight, we embark on a critical mission. Our target is a rogue vampire known as Malkar, a powerful and cunning predator who has been disrupting the balance of our domain. His insatiable thirst for chaos threatens our way of life, and we must eliminate him before he gains any more followers.”

A large digital screen flashes on, covering almost the entirety of the wall behind Priest. on it are a series of objectives;

Gather Intelligence:
Eyes, you will penetrate the astral planes to track Malkar’s energy signatures. Identify his current location and any potential allies he may have surrounding him. Your ability to reveal the essence of those around him will be crucial. Report back with detailed findings.

Infiltrate:
Shapeshifter, your task is to infiltrate Malkar’s circle. Assume a false identity that grants you access to his inner circle. Forge alliances with his followers and plant seeds of discord. We need to create a rift that will weaken his position before our final strike.

Lure and Trap:
Seductress, you will use your allure to draw out Malkar’s attention. Find a way to entice him into a vulnerable state. Your ability to whisper desires will be instrumental in leading him into a trap. Coordinate with the Shapeshifter to ensure that the timing is precise.

Channel the Dark Energy:
Priest, prepare rituals to bind and weaken Malkar once he is lured into the trap. We will need the energies of the lesser beings to fuel the magick. Ensure that you are adequately sustained, as this will be a significant exertion of your power.

Execute:
Servant, your role as always is to maintain the flow of energy among the team. You will channel the emotions and strengths of each, ensuring that we remain unified in purpose. Your presence will help bolster our resolve and fortify our abilities during the confrontation. At the precise moment of alignment, pierce his subtle body and rip out his soul for our consumption. Then, we feed deeply.

Notes:
We know that the stakes are high. Malkar is not only powerful but cunning; he has evaded us for far too long. If we fail, the repercussions could be dire. Each brings a vital piece to this mission, and together, we will compose a symphony of blood.

"Prepare yourselves. The night is ours, and we will not rest until Malkar lies in the dust of his own making."


Part Two: On the Way

As the cadre wove their way through the city streets on what turned out to be an overcast and slightly drizzly night, they were in a somewhat playful mood. The air inside the car was thick with anticipation, and laughter colored their journey.

Taking a short detour, they took it upon themselves to feed on some homeless wanderers under a dirty and half dilapidated bridge. A not so glamourous setting- the scent of urine and trash a small deterrent to such an easy feeding however.
With their strength now at its peak, they were in high spirits and full of confidence, relishing this opportunity for such a thrilling kill.

Speeding along the highway, the exhilaration of the rushing wind whipping around the '94 Supra, Shifter's favorite night ride, the lights zipping past in a blurred colors. Hearts are racing now, and they are poised, ready for the action with every fiber of their muscles aching with potential energy. The spray from the screeching tires kicking up into the air to form a smoky mist in their shadowy wake.

The free-flowing banter is light hearted and at times, making fun of one another. Their dress code, the weapons they bore. All were open to mockery. Hairstyles too. Priest having such thinning of his, he was often a target of bald jokes. Partly to rile him, but also to stoke up that anger which he can wield with such delicious ferocity.

The Seductress, ever a temptress, kept the energy electric with her sexual provocations. She teased her companions with glimpses of her thighs and used the soft caress of her aura, feeding the simmering lust that crackled in the air. Her laughter lit the sound between them, an intoxicating melody that fuels their camaraderie.

Eyes laid back in the seat, his pupils dilated as he navigated both the astral and the physical world simultaneously. Small gestures of his left hand indicating directions to the others, he is left undisturbed to focus as he scours the surrounding area for signs of danger.

And among them all, sat squeezed in the middle of hulking bodies, is the deceptively diminutive Servant, playfully poking and cajoling, with his bad jokes and his irreverence lifting the spirits and driving that camaraderie and confidence.

Together, they are a coven of darkness and mischief, each member combining to create a force that was not only prepared to hunt but eager to feast in tearing apart bodies and souls.

Part Three: Assault

Shifter brought the old Supra to a screeching halt just over a mile from the main gathering, a location pinpointed by The Eyes. They remained far enough away to avoid detection beneath the protective shroud cast by the High Priest, yet close enough to discern the unique energy signatures of Malakar’s followers. His minions were weak-minded, easily influenced, their physical strength wasted on such frail intellects.

“Easier to control a large group,” mused the Priest, his thoughts racing. “Quantity over quality works better against mundane threats. But not against The Cadre.”

With a firm pull on the brake, Shapeshifter threw open the driver’s door and stepped into the cool night air, the dampness quickly clinging to his youthful face and clothes. Turning to the Seductress, his expression that of mischievous delight. “I need twenty minutes to get inside the perimeter. Then you can make your move.”

He began to make his way towards the dockside warehouses, each step light, yet purposeful. The shadows embraced him, concealing his form as he approached the looming structures. The scent of saltwater mixed with the faint smell of oil, a reminder of the industrial world around him.

As he moved closer, the city’s distant sounds faded into the background, replaced by the rhythmic pulse of his own heartbeat, each thump a reminder of the mission ahead. He felt the energy signatures of Malkar’s followers, a blending of ambition and fear that made them ripe for manipulation by the Seductress.

Once he came closer to the initial guards, he began to cloak himself is a replica of those signatures. He ensured that they were varied enough so as not to be mistaken as someone specific, but close enough to be considered 'friendly'. His confidence surged as he stepped into a darkened doorway, waiting for the rest of The Cadre poised and ready for action.

At the twenty minute mark, Seductress stepped out of the passenger side of the car, the soft satin of her split dress sighing as it moved to slip from her thigh. Goosebumps raised on her arms a little as a soft breezes brought a chill from the night water, dark and foreboding, as a maw that might swallow one whole. for a moment, her gaze lingered on it as she pushed away obtrusive thoughts- reminders of her past demise in another life

Turning her head halfway over her shoulder, she locked eyes with Priest. He nodded slightly, his glittering eyes igniting a spark within her. How she wanted to take his sweet old face and just bury it. Yes, to lose herself in that warm embrace. But no- Focus. She turned and strode purposefully in the same direction that Shifter had disappeared into, her body aching for sensation.

As she approached the first of the lowly beings, the pawns that Malkar would so easily discard as his fodder, she considered taking one, her urgent need for satiation bringing almost a painful thrum throughout her whole system. But no, this was not to waste on such lowlife scum. Noticed, a brawny musclebound mundane approached her rapidly, ill-fitting checked shirt hanging over baggy slacks, his furtive hands moving the obviously concealed handgun, and towards some other weapon stashed in the belt at the rear of his slack pants.
"Oi. You lost, or what?"
His gruff voice matched the brutish presentation, bringing a satisfying smirk to her lips as expectations were so perfectly met.
"Oh no! I was looking for some help. I've been asked to meet someone - a big guy, looks like you, but wears a suit."
She said in the most sing-song southern belle voice she could muster.
The soft threads of her seductive tendrils made their way over to his aura and began to ease their way in gently, soothing his manner and turning her into a helpless damsel that is being brought before the gang for some fun. Or so he now believed.

Now entranced, the hulking lump of meat led her towards the main cluster of buildings where the majority of the underlings Malkar had scrounged up were milling around. Some seeming busy and tasked with organizing. Others somewhat unsure of what they were meant to be doing and simply trying to look tough in front of their comrades. All just cattle really, she thought, but they have their uses, oh yes. a sly smile creeping across her face, she began to reach out and touch each with a single hair like tendril that easily worked their way inside of their auras, nestling into the base of the brain stem.

As she moved among them, they began to crowd towards her. She could feel their energies, their desire, their lust growing as she sent miniscule signals into the brains of each, stimulating those nerve centers in the upper brainstem which control the consciousnesses, threading their way into the cerebrum itself.

Still in the back seat of the car, The Eyes flicked his fingers, signaling to the Servant and the Priest that it was time to initiate the battle. Exiting the car, the Priest moved with purpose, latching a major tendril onto the back of The Eyes' neck. Smaller, pointed offshoots sprang forth, burrowing into his brain, merging energies with the higher self currently traversing the astral plane.

A surge of energy flowed between them, creating a conduit of thoughts and intentions. Priest’s connection deepening, allowing him to channel The Eyes’ perception from afar, enhancing their awareness of the activity in the physical realm.
“Let us move.”
Priest whispered, his voice low but with the timbre of authority. They knew their roles well, each attuned to the rhythm of the hunt. The time for subtlety was over, the violence to be unleashed.

Final Part: Eruption

As the Seductress swayed in ecstasy among Malkar's goons, their energy surged in response to her presence, wrapping around her like a warm embrace. She reveled in the chaos she was about to unleash, her tendrils whispering promises of power and pleasure, sowing seeds of discord.

As she began to bring the underlings towards a climax of pleasure, a low rumble echoed from the shadows. The guards shifted uneasily, sensing the tension in the air. Back in the car, Eyes sensed the shift, alerting Priest, who began amplifying their connection.
“Now is the time. We cannot allow the trance to be broken.”

They rushed from the vehicle, scanning for danger, while Seductress tightened her grip on the minds surrounding her.
“Isn’t it boring just standing around? Why don’t we have a little fun?”
The underlings, intrigued and eager for excitement, leered even closer.

Suddenly, Shifter appeared at her side, cloaked in the guise of one of Malkar's trusted lieutenants.
“Time to move,” he whispered as he passed by her, and together they moved deeper into the throng, creating a barrier of distraction.

Priest and Servant emerged from the shadows, exuding fear and authority.
“Your master has betrayed you!” Priest's voice boomed, causing confusion to ripple through the crowd. “Join us or perish!”
Seductress amplified the mood, urging the underlings to abandon Malkar for true power.

With the crowd in disarray, Servant opened himself to all of the beings now exuding energy in all directions, pulling it in to himself and feeling the pressure in every cell of his being.
“Now!” he shouted, and the night exploded into action.
Shifter targeted those most loyal to Malkar, a small blade in each hand now glinting in the dim light, his arms moving in a dance of death and blood as he cur through throats one by one, while Priest drew upon the energy of the dying to prepare for his ritual.

“Together!” he roared, summoning together the full might of The Cadre. Drawing the energy from the nexus within Servant and the free floating exquisite breaths of the recently deceased.

“Let's hunt!” Shifter cried, and he loped off into the darkness, seeking those who had regained enough composure to run, or were just too far away to know what was occurring, returning to investigate and only finding scenes of engorged violence, as blood splattered and sprayed, the Seductress reveling in the absorption of the spirits of the dying, whilst she herself was soaked in the sprays of blood from those precisely opened arteries.

As the Cadre pressed their advantage, they felt Malkar’s energy flickering, dark and potent. His focus on Seductress as her overflowing desire overwhelmed all those in her presence.
“He's coming to you.” Priest shouted. Eyes pinpointed Malkar’s location, determined to expose him and relayed the thoughts to Priest.

A deep thick shadow, a smog of shocking pestilence fell upon them, as a blanket of doom. Malkar had revealed himself at last. Slowly, the dark fog began to take form, something animalistic, something humanoid, something disturbing.

It reached a cruel hand towards Seductress, her own form opened to its fullest extent, but before the dark fingers could stretch into her being, Priest bellowed, drawing on all the life force around them. In that moment, he lay the binding upon Melkor's form, freezing it in a grotesque caricature of a man. Pieces of his body being unrecognizable as human, his face a misshapen grimace of torture and pain.

Servant, seeing the time and ready to seize the opportunity stepped in to embrace Malkar, pressing his form against that dark, foul being and lancing out his energy into the heart of it.
"Now." He barely whispered as he struggled to hold the piercing tendril in place.
Priest took all of the energy being used to hold Malakar’s form in place and redirected it into Servant- the other members of the Cadre following suit. Soon the flow was a torrent of mingled energies, roiling and twisting as they entered the tiny form of The Servant and as they passed through him, being refined and shaped, fed into the lance where they streamed into the suddenly open and free form of Malkar.

Malkar’s subtle body shattered, exploding into a brilliant display of light and shadow, his essence tearing apart. The blast sent shockwaves through the night, illuminating the darkened streets like a supernova and shaking the buildings to their foundation. As the echoes faded, the few remaining underlings were thrown to the ground, or scattered, their minds lost in the aftermath of their master’s destruction. The air swirled above with the cast off power from the destruction.

“We are done.” Priest breathed, a triumphant grin spreading across his face.
“But we must always be vigilant, as this is only one of so, so many.” he warned.
As the night settled, The Cadre turned away from the remnants of Malkar’s energy and nascent empire, their bond stronger than ever, returning to The House.
Once again they are ready to raise a symphony for The Beautiful Darkness.