Stories of The Relic: The Book of Keilari - Part 4 — Ground Rules

By Alexander Kung

The Quietness of the loft was broken by the soft sounds of wimpering and sobbing. Gia growled as she tossed and turned on the couch unable to sleep soundly. After not being able to sleep for centuries, she found herself haunted by the memories of the cruelty shown to her over the years. But the worst was the memory of how it all began..

~0~

Venica, Italy 1491

It had all started with after she had dealt with Niccolo’s betrayal when she found herself abducted and whisked through the back alleys of the city. It was a disorienting trip as her abductor darted through the cobble stoned lined streets. With the bag over her head she could barely tell which way she was being taken; but who ever had a grip on her had to be a Keilari as well.
As she felt the heavy grip and heavy steeps on the ground, she knew it could be only one person who could capture her like this, Silvio, her family’s large hulking servant.

“And if he’s here that means….” Gia thought with a gulp “Oh NO…”

Only when she heard the familiar tell tale sounds of the noisy gates of Villa Fontana had she realized just how much trouble she was in. She struggled with all her might in a last ditch effort to get away but Silvio’s grip was far too strong. She shivered in fear of what punishment awaited her.

“What are you doing?” she yelled as she felt her wrists and ankles being bound to what felt like wood

Silvio didn’t answer but as he removed the bad over her head, she found herself strapped to a large oak x in the dank dark cellar to the family’s villa. It was a freighting feeling as she saw her extended family surrounding her. In the center she saw a very beautiful older blonde woman looking at her with a mix of disgust and hate. It was her mother, Christina de Fontana

“I’m very disappointed in you, Gio…”she started

“That is not my name” Gia interrupted defiantly as she struggled against her bonds

“Of course how could I forget….Gianetta” Christina said distastefully “ I suppose I should have suspected this day would come. Since the
day you were born you have been nothing but a blight on the house of Fontana”

“Sorry I never lived up to your high expectations ...mother” Gianetta spat back “I never asked to be born like this! Father accepted me…Why can’t you?”

“Don’t you dare….Dare…BRING YOUR FATHERS NAME INTO THIS!” Christina shouted as her face and eyes turned red in anger

“Don’t act like you ever loved him!” Gianetta spat back

A thunderous sound echoed through the cellar as Christina slapped Gia across the face with all her might. Gia willed herself not to cry as looked back at her mother with intense hatred

“I’ve made far too made many allowances for you because I loved your father” Gia’s mother growled barring her fangs “From the moment you were born as a deformed freak, I kept you because I loved him. When you refused to drink human blood, I allowed it despite my feelings otherwise. But now, here you are, associating with the lower class humans dressed like a whore! Do you know the embarrassment you have caused this house? That you have caused me?"

“Oh you poor suffering thing” Gia snorted sarcastically

“Silvio?” growled Christina “Hand me the collar!”

Gia’s eyes grew wide as she struggled against her bonds. She growled and gnashed her teeth as a spiked collar was placed around her neck. A soft glow emanated from the collar as it tightened around her neck. It was painful feeling, as if a 1000 white hot needles jabbed right into her throat. She tried to talk and swear but as much as she tried no words would escape her lips

“I finally found something to shut you up” her mother said with a smug smile “You have always been an unruly and disrespectful child. Ungrateful for everything I’ve done for you. I even found a suitable mate for you, one that was willing to overlook your…defects but no, you choose to defy me and saunter around with those distasteful humans.

Gia glared at her mother, growling almost feral at her and the rest of the whole family in pure hate.

“Defiant to the end aren’t you” her mother sighed “Very well, you leave me no choice then. Silvio do it!”

The large mute servant ripped away the remnants of Gia’s dress leaving her embarrassingly naked. Her lip trembled a bit as her flatchested androgynous form was shown to everyone, not quite a girl but not quite a boy. Grabbing a blood red leather book with a golden seal, Christina started a incantation in an ancient tongue. As the rest of the family repeated the words, a red tendril of energy lashed out from the book searing her back with a large mark of a bat almost like a tattoo. Gia screamed loudly as the pain was excruciating.

“So you want to be with those humans?” sneered her mother as Gia yelped in pain ”Then so be it! From this point on, you are no longer part of the house of Fontana and we will never speak of you again. You will be nothing more than a slave then, bound to this book until a Keilari wishes to release you. Though, good luck finding a Kelilari who will ever love you enough to do that!”

Gia screamed in terror as the book lifted from her mother’s hands. As it floated toward her, it opened, flipping its pages wildly. She fought as hard as she could but to no avail, she felt herself being pulled into is pages.

Soon all was quiet as the book closed and dropped onto the floor. Picking it up Christina looked at it distastefully.

“Get this retched thing out of my sight” growled Gia’s mother thrusting the book in her mute servants hands

~0~

San Francisco 2010

Gia woke up with a start, her bottom lip trembled a bit as she tried hard not to cry. As if sensing her feelings, Christopher’s kitten hopped up on the couch. Gia glared at it hissing and baring her fangs at it but the little kitten was unmoved. Purring softly, he started to rub his face against hers.

Gia heart melted a little as she proceeded to pet the little kitten on the head. Wiggling her finger, she genuinely smiled as it playfully batted at it with its paws. Hopping off the couch, it meowed softly beckoning her to follow.

Getting up off the couch she followed it into the kitchen when she found it pawing at a nearby cabinet. Opening it, she found a bag with the words cat food on it. Grabbing a handful, she placed it into the kitten’s empty bowl.

“So, that’s why you’re being so loveable, huh?” she thought as she scratched the kitten on the head

Letting the cat eat, she felt her own stomach growl. Looking around she noticed a bowl of fruit on the table. Apples, grapes, couple she had never seen before and …a peach, the rarest of fruits. Looking around, she weighed her options. Touching any of the master’s property was looked upon badly and punished severely. Still she hadn’t tasted the sweetness of a peach is a very long time, so she decided to risk it.

“He won’t miss one” she though as she gingerly reached for the peach.

A look of confusion washed over her face as picked it up, it didn’t feel quite right but she took a bite anyway. A look of absolute disgust formed over her face as the taste of wax and dust filled her mouth.

“HEY BITCH!” yelled a loud voice causing Gia to stiffen in fear “You holding out on ol Sugga?”

She was frightened even further when she heard a loud annoyed groan from the master’s bedroom, followed by loud hard stomping. The bedroom door was violently thrown open with a loud slam and a very angry looking and disheveled Christopher appeared. Gia suppressed a gulp and quickly hid the strange peach behind her back hoping he didn’t notice.

“Goddamn son of a bitch!” Christopher grumbled “Just when I was finally getting some fucking rest!”

He angrily ducked under the curtains, flung the window open and stuck his head out looking down at the bane of his morning.

“Sugga Bear? Again motherfucker?” Chris yelled “Do you have any idea what time it is? You wanna take that shit elsewhere?”

“Lookie, here slant eyes” Sugga Bear yelled back up “I don’t tell you how to make sweet and sour pork, and you don’t tell me where and when I discipline my bitches”

If it was a bit later in the day Chris might have been amused by the 60-something, white premafried druggie that for some reason thought he was a black pimp. From early morning to late at night Sugga Bear could be found pimp slapping telephone poles that he believed owned him money. However Chris was not amused..Not this morning..

“Sugga, I’m in no mood for this shit!” Chris yelled “Not this early, so you have exactly 10 seconds to be gone before this slant eye dumps some hot bacon grease on your head. And I fucking mean it!”

As he slammed the window shut and yanked the drapes shut he looked over to the kitchen where Gia was standing, and she was literally shaking in fear. Her lip trembled as her eyes shot almost immediately to the floor.

“Damit!” he thought ”I didn’t mean to scare her”

Chris narrowed his eyes at her. He noticed she had something in her mouth and she was hiding something behind her back. As he took a step toward her she took a step back, almost like a little kid when they knew they did something bad.

“Gia?” asked Chris gently “What do you have behind your back?”

She shrugged her shoulders and continued to look at the floor. She knew the kindness from last night was just an act and now he’d show his true colors.

“Might as well get this over with” she thought sadly as she produced the remains of the peach from behind her back

She closed her eyes and braced herself for the brutal beating or torture that she was sure to receive. After a second or two she heard the sound of soft paper being grabbed. Cracking open her eyes a bit she noticed the master holding a napkin under her chin.

“Okay, spit it out!” said Chris in almost a father like tone “Come on, do it or your gonna get sick”

Obeying she spat out the offending waxy substance into the napkin and swished her mouth out with a glass of water he handed to her. She glared at him as he started to snicker as he handed her the dive slate.

“I can’t believe you tried to eat wax fruit!” Chris smirked “I thought vampires didn’t eat anything besides blood”

“I am not a common vampire!” She wrote in a huff, very insulted “I am a Keilari! We are very different! And why do you have fruit made of wax in your kitchen?”

“Its decoration” said Chris “It’s not meant to be eaten”

“That’s….. idiotic” she wrote

“Hey, it’s my house” said Chris”I’ll run it as stupidly as I want to!”

She watched as he walked over to a strange white cabinet with a glowing light inside, opening it and pulling out a large peach.

“Here!” he said roughly handing it to her and patting her head “If you’re still hungry, I’ll cook breakfast..after I take a shower. I guess it’s obvious I’m not gonna get any fucking sleep around here”

Gia stood in utter confusion as she watched Chris disappear in the bathroom. She honestly didn’t know what to think of him. He was again grouchy but not exactly cruel. Looking at the peach in her hands, she smiled a bit. Biting into it ravenously, she savored the sweetness; it was the first sweet thing she had in a long time.

~O~

Christopher striped out of his clothing and stepped into the shower. As the warm water washed over his body, he closed his eyes as he tried to make sense of his situation. A beautiful brunette falls out of a book he bought on the internet, claims she is bonded to him for life and quite conveniently has fangs and drinks blood.

“I couldn’t make this stuff up even if I wanted to” thought Chris “ and I’m a fiction writer”

As he soaped up his body, he couldn’t help but let his thoughts linger on her. She had an almost childlike innocence just like another person he knew. They even had similar well endowed body types…

“Down boy” sighed Chris as he felt himself starting to get aroused “it’s better to figure out how to break this bond thing and send her on her way.”

It was real simple, a creed that he followed for most of his life. You get attached, you get hurt and Chris felt he had been through enough of that in his life. It was one of the reasons he kept a person like Denise at arm’s length. Sometimes it was just better being alone.

As he stepped out of the shower shaved and got dressed he could help but let his thoughts linger on her some more. He knew she had been through a lot if, the book was anything to go by. That was even more reason to break the so called contract.

Heading out of the bathroom he noticed her on on the floor of the living area playing with Kimari with a bit of loose string with her pjs. Though he considered himself the furthest thing from being gay, he had to admit that the revelation of last night when he removed her chastity belt didn’t bug him all that much. In fact just looking at by looking at her he couldn’t think of her as anything else but a girl and a very pretty one at that.

Not wanting to interrupt their game, he silently made his way into the kitchen.

~0~

Gia took the little bit of happiness she could get though she kept a bit of mistrust in the back of her mind. Playing with the cute little kitten brought back a both wonderful and painful memory.

It was her 5th or 6th master, she couldn’t remember for sure. And he like many of the other masters, he kept her in a damp dungeon away from everything. The beatings and the...other things were bad enough but then there was the unbearable loneliness. Until she met the only shining light in her life at the time, a little feral kitten that found its way into her dungon. It used to visit her every day until the master found out.

As she petted Kimari and scratched his belly, she sadly remembered how that master broke her spirit. Snatching the kitten out of her arms, he nonchalantly twisted its neck right in front of her with a sickening sounding wet snap. She cried for 3 days straight and 3 weeks later when her collar finally broke….She smiled evilly when she remembered how she made him pay dearly for it.

She didn’t know what to think of her new master, she certainly didn’t trust him but there was something so confusing about him. He seemed mean but then there was just this rough kindness about him too. She still wasn’t sure if it was an act or not but he was a human and therefore could change in a heartbeat just like all the others

As Kimari had enough play time and took off to cause mischief elsewhere, Gia heard sizzling coming from the kitchen. As she got up and peered around the corner she was in for a shock as she saw him cooking on a strange looking square device. It was strange to her to see the master of the household, a male one at that cooking for himself.

*ding dong*

“Hey, I’ll get that” said Chris, again patting Gia on the head “Breakfast is ready, so go and eat”

He knew that there was only one person bold enough to knock on is door at 6 0’clock in the morning. Sighing he flipped the locks and cracked open the door.

“Hiya, Chris-tee-fer” beemed Denise in a sickenly sweet voice “So who’s the mysterious girl that I heard through the walls last light?

Without any hesitation Chris slammed the door in her face but Denise was undeterred. Almost immediately she whipped up some tears and a sobbing voice

“How could you do this to me Chris?” she yelled at the top of her lungs ”How could you kick me out on the street just because I told you I was pregnant? Is that all I am to you, just a toy that you can just fuck and knock up then just throw away?”

She grinned as the door almost immediately opened up and Chris blushing bright red grabbed her by the leather corset she was wearing and yanked her into the apartment

“Why do you do shit like that?” asked Chris in annoyance

“Maybe if certain people were nicer and not slam doors in people’s faces, I wouldn’t” said Denise sweetly “So are you gonna tell me who’s the special girl you had screaming loudly last night?”

“Can you keep a secret?”

~0~

Gia looked at Chris with almost comical “Help me” eyes. She recognized the girl from the mindwalk but was not expecting her to be so..lovey dovey”

“OOOOOOOOH she’s so adorable!” squealed Denise as she hugged Gia

“Denise, I think your creeping her out” said Chis handing her a plate of eggs and bacon ”Ease up and have some breakfast”

“So run this down again for me.” said Denise chomping on some bacon ”I just wanna make sure I didn’t hear this wrong”

“Okay for the last time” explained Chris “I bought this 500 year old book on at an auction. Last night as I was reading it, Kimari jumps on my lap and caused me to bleed all over the book. Then like some shit out of a damn cheesy b movie, the damn thing floats in the air and she appears bare ass on my floor.

Gia looked at her master in confusion; he didn’t intentionally summon her out of the book? Could it be he really didn’t know anything?

“So she’s a real life vampire?” asked Denise “That’s so cool!”

“I am not a vampire!” Gia wrote angrily while glaring at Denise “I am a Keilari! We are very different from the common vampire!”

“Uh yeah” said Chris “She doesn’t like being called that”

Walking over to the bookshelf in the living area, Denise pulled Christopher’s dusty copy of the Vampire encyclopedia A to Z.

“Hmm Keilari …Keliari…” Denise said as she flipped through the pages “Dude how can you live all cooped up like this? You need some light in here!

Chris’s eyes widened in fear as she started opening the drapes. If vampire lore taught him anything, the sun was a death sentence for them and Gia whether she wanted to admit it or not was one. Diving across the table he tackled Gia to the floor hoping to shield her from the sun’s rays

“Denise what the hell?” Chis said as he felt Gia pressed underneath him, his hand on her large breasts

Looking down he noticed she was perfectly fine and quite human looking in the sun’s rays. Her fangs were gone, the cat like pupils of her eyes were rounded out and the chalk white pallor of her skin was still a bit pale but more normal looking.

“Hey now,” Denise teased licking her lips “I know you two can’t keep your hands off of each other but try to wait until I leave…unless you’re exhibitionists like that

As if the other was made of hot coal, they lept away from each other, each with a deep red blush on their faces.

“Okay’ said Denise with a bit of a smile “According to this book, Keilari are Vampire nobility. More powerful that the common mindless vampire.

“Gia you’re nobility?” Chris asked incredulously

“Not any more, master” wrote Gia wrote sadly “Now I’m just a slave..Your slave”

“I told you before I don’t want a slave” sighed Chris “And don’t call me master”

“Well if you don’t want her” joked Denise “Can I have her?”

“I’m bound to him for life” wrote Gia “The contract can’t be transferred”

“I was only joking Gia” smiled Denise as she dragged Gia toward the window “There’s no saying we can’t go out and have some fun is there?”

“What kind of fun?” Gia wrote cocking an eyebrow

“How about a day taking in the city?” said Denise as Gia’s jaw dropped in amazement.

It had been forever since she saw the outside and was just awestruck at what she saw. Glass and metal buildings stretching out to the sky, people riding strange contraptions, and just so many different things. No master had ever let her outside before.

“Oh no, absolutely not!” said Chris much to Gia’s disappointment “Out of the question, no way!”

“Why not? You plan on keeping her shacked, up so she’s like you?” teased Denise “A grumpy recluse”

“I just don’t want a see a blood bath on the 6 ‘oclock news if she decides to lose her shit” said Chris

“Dude, look at her, she’s harmless” said Denise “Besides I’ll make sure she doesn’t get into trouble, you have my word”

“Denise…” sighed Chris

“Please!!!!” Denise begged “ Come on look at her, she needs a friend too…. If you let me take her out I’ll make it up to you….”

“Oh yeah?” asked Chris ”What could you possibly offer me?”

“How about we leave you alone for the rest of the day!” smiled Denise “Just think all that time to work on your book, in peace and quiet. Think about it!”

Peace and quiet?!?! It was almost too good to be true.

“Gia, do you really want to go out and explore the city?” asked Chris

She nodded her head hoping he would say yes.

“Okay fine, but I got some ground rules” said Chris “Stay with Denise, No publicly attacking people or animals for blood, no baring your fangs at anyone…”

“and give him head whenever he asks” smirked Denise

“Don’t tell her that, perv” said Chris “ And last but not least no killing anyone. Is that clear?”

“Yes, master” Gia wrote on her pad

“Gia… don't call me master! “ Chris sighed “What did we talk about last night? You’re not my slave and I’m not your master. You’re just a guest in my home”

“Sorry…. Chistopher” Gia wrote

“Just go have fun and don’t get in any trouble” said Chris yawning

“Sweetness!” beamed Denise “You’re not coming along, Chris”

“Nah” said Chris “I don’t like people. You two go and have fun, just don’t stay out too late”

“Sure thing ..DAD” said Denise giving Chris a small peck on the cheek “Come on Gia, let me show you how cool San Fran can be. But first we need to get you some new clothes, you cant go walking around with jammies on”

Gia took a few stepes before spinning around and walking back to Chris, standing on her tip toes and giving Chris a peck on the cheek as well. While she still didn’t trust him , he was a lot better than her other masters, and she liked how he blushed for some reason. Following Denise out the door she was looking forward to explore and find out what this new strange era was like.

As they left Chris smiled just a bit as he held his cheek, two kisses from two beautiful women.

“I’ll take what I can get” sighed Chris “It’s not like I got a chance or anything”

Sitting down at his computer, he started to write a new chapter before doubled over in pain. It felt like getting stabbed from the inside out. Soon the episode passed and he shook it off. He was glad that it didn’t happen in front of Denise or she would have made him go to the hospital and he hated doctors.

Just as he weighed the options of going to the doctor the phone rang. Picking it it he mused it was probably his ex sleezeball agent trying get back in his good graces. No fucking chance of that happening.

“Hello?”

“May I peak to mister Kagawa please?”

“Speaking, who is this?”

“Ah yes, Mr. Kagawa my name is Angelo Seacrest of Seacrest antiquities. It has come to my attention that you have come into possession of a very unique item in the past few days. An old book to be exact.

“I own a lot of old books, Mr. Seacrest what of it?” said Chris “is there a particular thing you wanted?

“Straight to the point, I like that. Does a blood red leather book ring any bells?”

“Can’t say that it does” Chris lied growing a bit uncomfortable

“Come now Mr Kagawa, there’s no need for lying. I know you have it”

“Maybe, again what of it?”

“I’d like very much to own that book. And I’m willing to pay a great deal to aquire it “

“Not interested”

“Not even 100 thousand dollars?”

“Not interested”

“Humph, it would be in your best interests to can the tough guy act and sell me the book. I can be quite..persuasive in getting what I want.”

“If I didn’t know better I’d think that was a threat” said Chris “I have no desire to do any sort of business with you and consider yourself blocked from this number”

“Okay that was creepy” he said to himself as he hung up the phone

~0~

Angleo slamed his fist down on his desk in unbridled frustration and anger. Insolent little punk! He probably had already found out the secret of the book if he was not willing to sell. So be it then

“When I’m done with you, kid….” smiled Angelo evily “You will wishing you had just sold it to me. Nobody says no to me and what I want…I get…over your dead body if need be….. ”