Children of the Night #4
Night Wynd, 1992, b&w.
1 Children of the Night #4 cover By Lee Fong, Shen Fong, Kimmy & Sushi.
A page, one of four, from the book Centurio Aeternus, documents Lamia, the vampire and her co-horts' attempts to destroy the human race from onecivilization to another. Greenwich Village: Simon, sweats wearing, shirtlesswakes up early morning. Perrigrin gets up, telling them the guys made enoughnoise to wake the dead when they came in last night at midnight and then hehad Lee snoring in his ears for the rest of the night. Simon tells him to beglad it is not morning breath in his face. They tell Peri the story of Nejibecoming a vampire. Neji is curled up on the floor, seemingly naked. Peritakes it that Neji's sacrifice was for Simon and Lee says, "What else isnew?" Neji and the others squeeze into their new costumes. Gen gets mad andyells at them. She rents her loft to one kid and suddenly four rugrats showup. They were never to disturb her when the light is on over her door. Theyruined her date last night. She yells that she wants them out by the end ofthe month. Neji tells the boys they need a new place anyway. Lee and Nejihave some kind teasing--kind for once. He puts a Dutch rub on Neji and thetwo playfully tease. Simon asks Peri if he knows a place they can move tofrom where Peri came from. Three guys, one a cop, see the kids and make funof them and their suits. Neji is gone, going up the alley. Simon tells Perithat Neji taught him to be proud of his difference. Page 2 of the book--3500BC is the earliest date for Nadia's eating brains--she is Nadia in thisincarnation. She has also killed women. Soho: two terrified Harlequins hidein an alley. The two goblin boys with pointed ears, now looking very innocentand afraid. Nadia wants to sacrifice them to appease the demon husband. Theydidn't want to die for the bitch, just raise a little hell. They go to achurch, the black haired one is happy inside--it feels free of the evilaround Nadia. Two altar boys tells them they cannot stay here but one goblinboy grabs an altar boy by the throat. They warn them not to let a strange woman in. Neji cannot change into a bat yet but can fly--a semi dissolve that make him light enough to float. Neji is on top the church as Nadia calls tothe boys, commanding they invite her inside. She senses a new vampire--Neji who was alerted to the church by feeling her command. The goblins are now dressed like altar boys. The blond one stops the blond curly haired altar boy from letting her in--thinking it was patron. He feels it is horrible but compelling. The other blond altar boy, with straight hair tells him they cannot give in to her. The black haired goblin tells them to put their fingers in their ears and hum a song. The blond goblin tells them if that doesn't work he will knock them out with a swinging pot. Neji appears from nowhere. The goblins tell the altar boys he became a vampire for love. Thus he isn't fully one of the living dead. The curly boy says, "This place has more vampires than I have hives!" He is scratching his leg. The dark haired goblin sighs, "I wish I could find someone to love like that." The blond points back to him, "He's the last of the romantics and the first of the dinks." The boy who got hives did so at East 23rd Street--Con Ed and the plants caused it and pollution. Neji calls the factory Big Bertha. The four boys, two goblins--harlequins- and two altar boys, go out. Neji flies out.They will all meet in 15 minutes. Page 3 of the book. Lamia left Egypt to go to Europe as seen in the Jutland Grave. She had a following as seen in the bogs of Denmark. She slit throats for fun and also used strangulation with bites. Nadia turns into a full bat monster, ready to decimate the city and allow her husband to take the harlequins, two altar boys, and Neji. Nej icalls her the whore of Babylon. Nadia wants her husband to follow her andwhen he sees the boys, he will forget about her. Suddenly, Nadia burns from the smoke in the air and falls. She begs her husband to save her beauty. He will save her and she will serve him for a thousand years...as the batmonster she is now. The blond harlequin says, "That could have been us...a 1000 years...shudder." Neji asks the harlequins what they are going to do now. They are staying with the altar boys. The curly haired one says, "Father Ryan will love you. He always says the best choir boys have a bit of the Dickens in them!"