Something Eternal

by Joel T. McGrath

  Emma Rose, age 14

  She craves acceptance and love from her mother, but feels her mother is selfish, which lowers her own self-worth.

  An only child of recently divorced parents, she is on her first trip to Paris with her mother. Resentful of her mother’s constant texting and recent plastic surgery, she secretly laments her own drab appearance when compared to other girls around her. When Killian takes notice of her, Emma’s entire view of life changes.

  Emma’s Mother, age 32

  Recently divorced, she loves her only child Emma like a best friend.

  When life gives you lemons, go to Paris with your daughter. Busy texting and looking good, life is short, so eat dessert first, besides, it’s not like anything bad ever happened to anyone while on vacation, right?

  Ericson, age unknown

  A quiet and reserved man, he is the lone keeper of the sacred Celestial Pyre.

  Ericson usually doesn’t say much, but when he speaks, you can bet his words are well thought and holy. He communes with the mystic source of all life with profound respect, even though many immortals know not of its existence, he guards and cares for it both day and night.

  Eruditus

  A paradise. A place where all immortals originate.

  Eruditus is a place of bliss, at least it used to be. It is not another planet, but rather a realm, a state of mind, a perfect place for all well-meaning immortal inhabitants.

  The First Immortal

  To some, the first immortal is the bogeyman, to others it is myth, yet a few worship the first immortal as a deity.

  Someone has to be pulling the strings of the leaders and money in the system, yet almost no one knows who that person is. The knights scoff at the notion of a first immortal, for they argue no such thing exists. However, the Shroud claim to answer to said first immortal, vowing to fight the immortal war to rid the earth of those who doubt his presence.

  Flicker Fruit

  A fruit that flickers every color of the rainbow. It is the source both of everlasting life and everlasting death.

  Flicker fruit used to grow in orchards, yet now there is but a single tree left. Its properties are life itself, but those who separate the colors in concentrated juices, bring forth a scourge upon the world.

  Galinea / knights / knighthood — to be gallant

  A Galinea is a knight who has taken the vow of knighthood: To have faith and to be noble.

  The Galinea are knights that have fulfilled their training and experienced a mission. Knights are forbidden to partake of worldly pleasures, most of all, relations with another knight or mortal. Many Galinea have lost their lives protecting humanity. Many still have died trying to destroy the dark lord Malum. There are no more knights in training. The last knights are waiting for the final war—the immortal war.

  Golden Glass Orbs

  One of the items left over from the immortals’ technological age.

  The Golden Glass Orbs are golden orbs that radiate safe, cold fusion. They are everlasting sources of clean energy for immortals.

  Immortals

  A group of people not unlike their human counterparts.

  Not supernatural creatures of any kind, immortals have manipulated human society invisibly for thousands of years. With the best of intentions, some have helped advance human knowledge, while others purposely steer humankind off into destruction as a sort of sadistic game.

  Immortal War

  A war in which the world will not end, but rather change forever.

  The knights have dwindled to a handful, all of them holed up inside the castle. The Shroud has hundreds of immortals and thousands of Dwellers waiting to tear down the castle walls at the rising of the Blood Eclipse.

  Jak, age 20

  Vincent’s older brother. A mighty knight secretly betrothed to Noemi. Jak pushes Vincent hard, only because he knows how strong his younger brother truly is.

  Unlike his younger brother, Jak believes a person is defined by their actions. He studied under the greatest knights in the temple, and now he’s ready for his mission. Jak was disheartened when Vincent left the temple, forsook the knighthood, and followed after Noemi. During a stormy night in a deserted New York subway station, Jak finally caught up to Vincent.

  Joanne James, age 36

  Mother to David and Danielle James, she is widowed by her husband Nathaniel.

  Much debate remains whether Joanne knew any of her husband’s immortal beginnings before they met. Yet, after she learned the truth, Joanne protected her children from what she knew of their father’s secret life.

  Killian, age unknown

  A gorgeous, young, edgy man with eyes for Emma, who is much more than the stylish boy he appears to be.

  There’s a cool, yet desperate quality about him. His cold eyes can look upon Emma as she has always wished to be viewed, or gloss over with instant contempt. He’s full of questions, not least of all remembering who he used to be. Now a Dweller, he has never fully committed to their ways, and so harkens toward Emma—a hint of what he desires from his present life, to live again.

  Kimi, age 12

  A young Native American girl from the Lakota tribe, Malum has promised to protect her from the evil world.

  A human, she has the gift. There are several humans around the world endowed with a rare ability only immortals were thought to have had. At a certain age, if not released, these young ones will simply grow up as humans, never knowing what power lies inside. During the Shadow Harvest, the knights and the Shroud raced around the world to collect or destroy these gifted individuals before they could be turned to the other side. Kimi is one such human, but her tender years may very well be her undoing.

  Knights’ Temple

  A place of mystic, spiritual energy and enlightenment where younglings learn the way.

  It is hoped that just a few of the younglings chosen by the temple turn into balanced, wise knights. However, no one foresaw the destruction of the temple and loss of the entire class of youngling knights in one fell swoop.

  Leap Zones

  Cars, trains, and airplanes are fine in a pinch, but for immortals, nothing beats a leap zone.

  The transit system for immortals, leap zones are hotbeds where aperture travel is most viable. Leap zones can be miles in diameter, or a few feet. Leap zones are plentiful, but vast areas of Earth have no leap zones, making normal travel necessary in the forms of boats, cars, planes, as well as other commonplace travel until an immortal reaches the nearest leap zone.

  M, age 14

  The newest Dweller, M has Killian’s eye, and protection.

  A reluctant sort, M never wanted this so-called life of everlasting death, but choices can be ironic like that. M can’t remember what she, he, or it, was or is. However, nothing feels right, everything seems wrong, even if Killian says those feelings will disappear once a first life is consumed.

  Mala, age unknown

  A Gypsy, she’s an elderly woman traveling across Europe in her weathered, horse-drawn wagon.

  She doesn’t have many possessions, but she’s willing to give those in need what is needed. Little is known about Mala, but she knows who she is, and that’s really all that matters.

  Malum, age 7,326

  An immortal endowed and practiced in the dark arts and sciences, and leader of the Shroud.

  He is one of the most powerful immortals that roam the earth. Malum has shaped human society from fledgling tribe to empire, and finally to civilization’s ruin countless times, all in the name of experimentation. A fickle and pedantic man, he loves power, and manipulates people and outcomes just for the sport of it. He single-handedly destroyed the source of the immortals’ immortality, all to gain a resource he deems fit only for himself. Malum, in a failed experiment, both created the Dwellers and lost his left eye, scarring his face terribly for time i
ndefinite.

  Maurice, age 18

  A true geek who pursues the supernatural down in the catacombs.

  Not nearly as clever as he thinks he is, and after stealing a 12th century book from Notre Dame Cathedral, he is on the trail of the legendary, urban myth of Dwellers. A self-proclaimed cataphile—one who tags the deepest sections of the catacombs for sport—Maurice has recently acquired a videotape of a competitor, another cataphile that was dragged off by Dwellers just months before, never to be seen again. Sophie and Maurice argue and fight about its validity, but soon the two kiss wildly, making up, while plotting their next crime.

  Maximillian, age 5,593

  One of the old guard, knighted in a more civilized time, he is much stronger than even his blade.

  Full of self-denial and individual restraint, nothing is ever personal, but it is the duty of obligation that drives Maximillian to judge the worth of those around him. Knighted long ago, he knew Malum as a force for good. He had a chance to stop the self-proclaimed dark lord Malum once, but Maximillian hesitated, for he loved peace and despised killing. However, that was then, this is now, and the darkness has grown too powerful to be stopped even by his mystic blade.

  Mortals

  Humans.

  Humans are subject to sickness, death, accidents, and many other non-immortal occurrences. Some immortals hate humans, some immortals feel pity upon humans, but all immortals are forbidden by the Doyen Council to directly interfere with their civilization, though this command has gone widely ignored. The Shroud and knights are nearing the end of five thousand years to prove whether humanity has the right to rule itself.

  Nathaniel James, age unknown

  An immortal with more than just the secret of immortality in his blood.

  Nathaniel is the father of David and Danielle James. He died while protecting their presence. An unknown person, with enough power to kill an immortal, hunted him to the ends of the earth. Nathaniel, a royal, is the last heir to the throne of Eruditus. As heir, his kingship is above that of any who has ever ruled on Earth.

  Noemi, age 19

  The onetime knight, the onetime first-in-command for the Shroud, she gave it all up for Vincent, but would she do it again?

  To know her is to love her, yet can one ever really know someone? An ambitious romantic, Noemi has forsaken the ways of the sword. She has turned her back on everything except the only one she has in this world. She loved Vincent’s older brother Jak, yet she was in love with Vincent from the start, which eventually led to Jak’s destruction at the hands of the Shroud. For too long, she played both sides, never knowing which side she really favored until the day Vincent jumped to his certain death while trying to save her life. They embraced once more as the jagged rocks from the fierce ocean below reached up for them in thirsty revenge for the life they had taken.

  Nytmar, age 666

  Appropriately named for its skill of snatching bodies from warm beds without so much as a scream.

  Nytmar is the thing that goes “bump in the night.” Under cover of darkness, recessed in the shadows of closets, and underneath beds, Nytmar has quietly marked its prey. Once a target has been marked, a final splash of red is the only color that lingers amidst rows of serrated fangs.

  The Prophecy

  In the knights’ temple, there are many scrolls that say a great many things, and those things are all open to interpretation.

  One of those prophecies alludes to a half-immortal, half-human child, or children. Though even among the knights and holy men of the temple and Doyen Council, there is disagreement. It is believed by Acuumyn that David and his sister Danielle James are the ones the prophecy is talking about, for they are the only offspring of an immortal-human conception. Many prophecies speak in general terms. Some prophecies speak of one sibling killing the other, while another prophecy speaks nothing of this, but rather, of a future free from uncertainty due to the siblings. Whatever the prophecies say or do not say, the knights and the Shroud seek the same thing, to control the future.

  The Reckoning

  Little is known about the Reckoning, but according to the knights’ prophecies, it is coming for us all.

  Those with money, influence, and power, know their real strength resides in knowledge. The Reckoning, like the Big Bang, will instantly disseminate the esoteric knowledge of a few, to everyone, thus restoring balance to the world. During the Reckoning, individuals will be faced with their true selves. Some will try to escape, but no escape from themselves will they find. Others, those crushed by the system, will rise up with the ability to both know, and the gift of reestablishing a world meant for so much more, a world of delight, a world of their making. For as the prophecy says: Whatever they do, they will accomplish, and whatever they accomplish, they will have happiness in doing. Never again will monarchs rise, subjecting their citizens to harsh rule and devious manipulations.

  Recur, age 753

  Recur is twice as good as any other Dweller, other Dweller.

  Once a cult follower of the Shroud, Recur willfully traded the precious gift of human life for the meager existence bestowed upon him. When many Dwellers were killed by immortal knights in 1534, Recur was injured badly. His head nearly crushed, yet somehow he survived, but at a cost. Recur repeats the words of everything he says twice, and even when he consciously tries, he still can’t stop, can’t stop.

  Revekka, age 6,042

  The last empath, she is an envoy attempting to bridge the gap between humans and immortals before time runs out for both.

  She truly has her finger on the pulse of the world. Revekka has served on Earth in the capacity as watcher for five thousand years. She has sworn an oath, like most knights, to never unduly interfere with human history. Recently though, the world has turned bleak with an invisible darkness, and after being contacted by the mysterious source of all life, she is called into action. Nonetheless, Revekka has the directive to transport the Sphere Atlas to the knights before the Shroud attains the living map.

  Royalist

  There will always be rulers, and if there are always rulers, someone needs to be ruled over.

  For thousands of years, the royalists have waited for a time when people could be subdued without war, and that time is now. Malum, a proud member of the royalist party, knows humans need a strong hand to govern them. In the past, Malum has waged wars, but he underestimated the people’s will for freedom, so now, he has lulled them into a passively stagnant state of existence. Royalists seek to bring about a one world government to Earth. They desire an immortal king upon a throne rather than human presidents and leaders. Malum knows that before you establish a permanent world government, you need to divide the population, break its will, and though trust is not important, many have to rely only upon the system for their needs.

  The Shadow Harvest

  A race by the Shroud and knights to gather the mortal children with the immortal gift.

  For a short period of time, human children were discovered to possess a certain power and ability on a subconscious level. Immortals sought to either destroy or adopt these children. Some now reside in the castle, while others joined the Shroud.

  The Shroud

  A group of former knights, former aristocrats, and former politicians.

  The Shroud believes ideas are the most dangerous things in the world, and hope, more dangerous still. Humans need a strong, one world government, and now, religion, the Shroud’s tool for distraction, has served its purpose and needs to be abolished. The Shroud has blamed the knights for the destruction of all immortality with the death of the flicker fruit trees. The case of humanity vs the Shroud is now considered null and void, and only the immortal war can subdue the earth in the eyes of the Shroud.

  Skylar Blackwell, age unknown

  Always thinking ten steps ahead, he’s the last person anyone would expect to be the first immorta
l.

  To him, the Shroud is just a ploy, the knights are a nuisance, but religion is his greatest device to divide and conquer humanity, why even Evolution is a religion. Everyone on Earth believes in something, even if their something is nothing at all, it’s still something to believe in. Skylar seeks to control all facets of human and immortal society, and to rule over them without end. For this to happen, many must die at his hands, those most dangerous first. He believes in the prophetic writings in the temple, for if he did not, he wouldn’t be stalking the last royal female on Earth. For Skylar knows to win the immortals’ support, he must marry the hybrid human and immortal teen, Danielle James. However, her younger brother David has claim to the throne, which is a problem for them, because neither sibling is aware of this as they live out their quiet life going to school and doing whatever else human teens do these days.

  Slash, age 921

  Some say Slash is the first Dweller. Others say he’s the first of Malum’s mistakes.

  With exceedingly long, razor sharp talons, Slash has earned his name by eviscerating whatever’s in his way. Slash, the self-appointed leader of the Dwellers, a chief rival to Killian, has forgotten an important detail—why Malum looks so familiar to him, yet Malum looks forward to reminding Slash of their shared history.

  Snare, age 723

  They taste better when they run.