Tainted Blood Anthology

by Jeff Gunzel

  “You offered mutation,” Liam growled, his firsts trembling.

  Hamas leaned forward in his seat, fingers clasped together beneath his chin. “Have you ever seen a mother cradling her dying child, begging for you to do something, anything, to save that child’s life? Well, I assure you that I have, many times in fact. And you know what the worst part was? I knew in my heart that there was probably nothing I could do. Yet it didn’t even matter in the grand scheme of things. His or her death would just be another stepping stone towards creating the ultimate weapon.

  “Liam, I only chose children who were going to die anyway. Those mothers knew that, and still they brought their children to me. I never lied to them. I offered a slim chance at life, which was more than they had before they came to me.”

  Hamas sighed and flopped back in his seat. “And then it finally happened. After years of figuring out what doesn’t work, we finally backed into the formula. It worked, Liam. I finally made it work.” He leaned his head back, closing his eyes as he shook his head. He seemed to be reliving that day of relief all over again. “A brother and sister, in fact. They were the first. It was finally over, Liam. I no longer had to watch any more children die in my arms. With their perfect blood, I was able to duplicate—”

  Liam zoned out as Hamas went on to explain the complicated process of mass-producing the lerwicks. Hearing the process might have been fascinating on any other day, but today he just couldn’t concentrate on those details. It all suddenly made so much sense. This was why the lerwicks couldn’t remember their childhoods. They were not born, they were created at an already advanced age. There was no childhood to remember. And since they were all created within a limited amount of time, they were all roughly the same age. It was all so much to take in that Liam could hardly wrap his head around it.

  “Why?!” Liam said, practically leaping out of his chair. The old man stopped talking and glanced up at him, confused. He knew he had cut Hamas off in midsentence, but he hadn’t been paying attention for some time anyway. “Why would you do such a thing in the first place?”

  “You really are an old fool, aren’t you?” Hamas said, rising from his seat to mirror Liam’s aggressive pose. “Do you even live in the same world as the rest of us? Are you really not aware of what the ghatins are capable of, even after they’ve already attacked multiple cities? I brought back a weapon, the only known weapon that can stop them. How can you fault me for that?”

  “You’re the fool!” Liam shouted, stabbing a finger at the man’s face. Their shouting match was beginning to draw quite a bit of attention. Spiritists gathered near the doorway, wondering what was going on. “Yes, of course we are aware of the ghatins. It feels as if we’ve been fighting them off at every turn. But do you know why we are still standing? It is because the ghatins are still at a disadvantage. The curse is still intact. Yes, they have a found a way to escape the volcano for small durations of time, but so far, we have been able to handle that. Until now, that is.

  “There is only one way they could possibly break that curse, and you have practically handed it to them on a platter. Surely you knew the danger when you brought back the lerwicks? What were you thinking?”

  “I weighed the options, and came to the conclusion that not bringing them back was the bigger threat,” Hamas reasoned. “I fear you are too certain in your assessment that the curse would hold in the absence of the lerwicks. I do not share your confidence, nor am I willing to bet the safety of the realm on a single theory.”

  “And I say you’ve doomed us all!” Liam barked.

  The old man sighed and melted back down into his chair. He picked his empty wine goblet up off the floor and peered into it again. “Perhaps you’re right,” he admitted, longing for just one more drop of the sweet wine. “Or perhaps you’re not.” He shrugged, setting it back down on the floor. “Only time will tell, but this much I know. If you are right and the ghatins do indeed break the curse, we already have the perfect weapons in place. We are in a position to defend ourselves.

  “But if they had found another way to break the curse, as I suspect they would have, and I had not brought back the lerwicks to fight them, we would all be doomed.”

  Liam sighed, also sinking back down into his chair. Even he could not deny the old man’s logic, as much as he hated to admit that.

  “I took a chance, Liam. It was a calculated risk with a high floor and a low ceiling. I made sure we had a fighting chance no matter what the ghatins managed to figure out on their own. Was it a mistake? Perhaps. But I will own up to and live with that mistake.”

  Liam turned and gestured to one of the spiritists. A moment later he approached with two full goblets of wine. Liam took both and handed one to Hamas. “Then I suppose we will all have to live with it,” Liam said, raising his goblet to a man he figured he would be seeing a lot of from now on.

  “To life, and all who are willing to fight to preserve it,” Hamas said, raising his goblet.

  “To life,” Liam repeated as they clinked their drinks. Throwing his back with vigor, he nearly drained it one swallow.

  Chapter 10

  “And this is what you have come all this way to tell me?” came a voice from the doorway. Spiritists shuffled about, moving to either side as Rishima made her way into the room.

  “Yes, that is correct,” Hamas said, rising to his feet to greet the young woman. “At last. You must be—”

  “Curious,” Rishima said. Despite her icy demeanor, she still allowed the old man to take her hand. Keeping his eyes on hers, he lightly kissed the back of it. She raised an eyebrow, having to admit that this old human did seem to have a certain charm about him. “I’m curious as to why you chose now to come forward with this information, Hamas. You had years to do so. What has changed?”

  “Everything has changed,” he answered smugly, dipping his head in a shallow bow before sitting back down. “My work had to be kept secret. The world was not ready to learn of what I was attempting to do. Why, it would have turned into a witch-hunt overnight. I would have been burned or hanged. And quite frankly, neither of those options appeals much to me.”

  “You would have been hunted because you tried to play god,” Rishima said. “And from what I’ve seen, humans aren’t exactly the most tolerant race.”

  “Tried implies that he only made an attempt,” Liam added. “I must point out that the attempt was a success. This man created life. And therefore, has indeed played god.” Hamas raised his goblet in silent toast before taking another long, healthy gulp.

  “You mentioned a brother and sister as being your first successful test subjects,” Rishima said, quickly moving the conversation to what was really on her mind. It also proved she had been listening longer than either of them suspected. Hamas nodded, not certain why that mattered. It seemed like a rather insignificant detail as far as he was concerned. “What were their names? Did they even have names?”

  “They did,” he shrugged. “But I don’t even know if they are still alive, mind you. And if they are, they would most likely be using aliases by now.”

  “Their names,” Rishima repeated, the fingers on her left hand flexing. It was the only outward indication that her patience might be growing thin.

  “The boy’s name was Jarlen, the girl was Viola,” he said.

  He had barely finished his sentence before everyone seemed to be moving at once. “Bring her here,” Rishima ordered. But spiritists were already on the move before she spoke.

  “Are you sure about this?” Liam asked, trying to plead his case. “Hasn’t Viola been through enough already?” Hamas turned his head sharply after hearing Liam repeat her name. “Perhaps this can wait until morning when everyone has had a good night’s—”

  “No, it cannot wait until morning,” Rishima said. “You of all people are not suggesting that we wait another day, when the answers she has sought for so long may well be sitting right here in this room, are you?”

  Liam looked away. Of course she w
as right. Try as he might, he couldn’t protect her from the entire world. Some things she needed to face for herself. He didn’t have to like it, but he did have to accept it. For better or worse, she needed to hear the truth.

  Hardly a minute had passed before two spiritists entered the room, bowing briefly before stepping aside. There stood Viola, brow crinkled with obvious confusion. They had told her nothing other than to come immediately. It was unclear if Hamas had seen any of his creations since their release on the world, but upon seeing her, his eyes instantly lit up. “Viola?” he said, rising from his seat. He moved towards her cautiously, hands extended as he went to touch her face. Viola leaned away and he pulled up short, fingers curling back. “It’s really you,” he said, his voice sputtering.

  “Who is this?” Viola asked, looking right at the old man but waiting for someone else to answer. Hamas inched closer, this time his fingertips brushing her face. Viola tensed, but didn’t pull away this time. If this strange man were actually dangerous in any way, surely her friends wouldn’t have let him get this close.

  “I can hardly believe it. It really is you,” Hamas said. “Who am I, you ask?” There was an adoring admiration in his eyes, a father’s love that Liam recognized right away. Perhaps he made these beings for a purpose, but there was no denying his attachment to them. At least, the obvious attachment he had to his first. “This may sound hard to believe.” Again he swallowed, already anticipating how hard this was going to be for her. “I am the one who brought the lerwicks back from oblivion. I am the one who unearthed the secret to their existence. And yes, Viola, I am also the one who brought you to life.”

  Viola felt the room spin as a pair of strong hands steadied her from behind. She would have surely ended up on the floor had Liam not moved so quickly. You must sit down, my dear, came a voice from miles away. Bring her some water. Hurry! The voice was so distant, yet she knew it was Liam. Everything seemed to be moving so fast. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, her panting breaths coming in rapid bursts. I told you this was a bad idea. We should have waited. You should have let me talk to her first!

  Viola reached up and grabbed Liam by the shoulder. She realized she was sitting on a chair, but had no idea how she got there. After a few deep breaths, everything seemed to slow down again. Just holding on to Liam seemed to help keep her grounded. His touch was real, familiar; it helped her to stay in the moment. “Is this true?” she asked. Even though Hamas was right in front of her, she was looking at Liam. She needed a familiar face right now, a person she trusted to tell her what was real and what was not.

  “It is true,” Liam said, stroking her hand with his own. “I can’t even begin to imagine what you’re feeling right now, but you must accept that this man is telling the truth.”

  Thinking? What was she thinking? Viola searched through the haze of her mind, cutting through all the disbelief and shock. What am I thinking? I feel...relieved. “I am fine,” she said, sitting up in her chair. And she was fine, now that the initial shock had run its course. All her life she had dreamed of this moment, and now it was here. The time had come to finally get some answers, and she was not going to let it slip through her fingers. She looked directly at Hamas, holding his gaze for an uncomfortably long while. No longer was she that scared little girl, and she would prove it from this day forward, through both her words as well as her actions.

  “It is good to finally meet you,” she said, her voice steady. “And now that I have been given this opportunity, I would like to ask you some questions.”

  *

  After having the dining hall cleared, they all switched rooms in order to be more comfortable. Owen was present, but decided to stay at the far end of the table, stuffing his face. Any time was a good time for eating, and this was no exception. Liam and Hamas sat across from Viola, while Rishima and Bella stayed seated at a nearby table. All they planned to do was to listen in, but not interfere. This was Viola’s moment. She finally had the chance to get some answers. Liam had brought her up to speed on what had already been discussed. Now it was her turn to ask some questions.

  “You were my first,” Hamas began, proud like a father. “After so many failures, I was finally able to make the process work.” He sat forward in his seat, pointing a finger at her with one eye half-closed. “You know, the odds of you being here right now are nearly ten thousand to one. That I am speaking with you at all is a miracle in itself.”

  “And what is the significance of Viola being your first?” Liam asked, unable to resist. He too had questions of his own. “I mean, besides the obvious. Does that make her any different than the others?”

  “Indeed it does,” Hamas said. “She is the original. Which makes the others mere copies of the original, therefore diluted in some ways. It is quite possible that she has abilities the others do not. Yes, the sex plays a role as well. The males are significantly stronger, but none would be as strong as Jarlen. And although the females can move faster than humans, none will be as fast as Viola. Again, they are diluted copies. And close as they may be, they are still inferior to Viola and her brother. Physically, anyway.” Hands dropping to his sides, he suddenly started looking around as if something had startled him. “And where is your brother? I should like to see—”

  “A story for another time,” Liam cut him off with a raised hand. This was not the time or place for talk of that lost soul.

  “Why did you bring us back?” Viola asked. “Please, don’t misunderstand me. I am grateful to be here. I have made some wonderful friends,” she glanced at Liam, “and I don’t plan on ever being separated from them again. But I just don’t understand my purpose. Why am I here?”

  “You are a soldier,” Hamas said. That father’s admiration seemed to have suddenly fled from his eyes. Now those eyes were deadly serious. “You are all soldiers, born and bred for a single purpose: to fight the ghatins and defend our realm, just as the first generation of your kind did.” His expression softened. “I am sorry if that sounds cold or callous. The truth often is, and I promised you the truth. It is no different than when the lerwicks were first designed all those centuries ago. Your purpose is just as clear now as it was back then.

  “Of course, those were different times, to be sure. The world was in chaos, as the war between the humans and the ghatins raged on for many years. Back then, the creation of the lerwicks only had to be kept secret from the ghatins. But now we live in a world of complete ignorance to a danger that once almost brought the humans to extinction. Ironically, the humans fear your kind just as much as they fear the ghatins. Knowing this would be the case, I was forced to devise a plan. And a desperate one at that, if I do say so myself.

  “It was imperative that your kind remain hidden until the world was ready to know of your existence. As we all know, coin is the universal language spoken around the world. It shows no prejudice, and can unite an army even when there is no shared purpose or goal. I hired as many men as I could. Not good men, not moral men, but loyal to a fault once their price had been met. Each took at least one of the young lerwicks, depending on how much I paid them, and was instructed to hide them from the world. Furthermore, they had to be spread out in case some were discovered. One found is a mutant, a natural mistake of nature. Several in one place? Well, that could not be so easily explained.

  “It cost myself and my colleagues our entire life savings, but there was no other choice. It had to be done. They were to hide you, educate you as best as they could, and then one day their task would be complete. They would know when that day came, just the same as I did. Word of the rise of the lerwicks has spread across the realm. The time has come, and that is why I, too, have come out of hiding. You have a destiny, Viola, and I am here to help ensure that you fulfill that destiny.”

  Viola sat still in her chair with a blank expression. It was all so much to take in. Had everything in her life been leading up to this moment? Was this really her destiny? That kind of importance was a hard thing for her to
imagine given her lifetime of secretive solitude.

  “My name,” she said. Both Hamas and Liam were a bit taken aback by what seemed to be a strange change of subject. “By your own admission, I am little more than a creation. Why even bother giving me a name?” She glanced around the room. “That table is no different than the other table over there. That picture on the wall. That lantern. They are all just things, just like myself. They don’t have names, so why do I?”

  “I promised you the truth,” Hamas said after a thoughtful pause. “Yes, Viola, you were created. That much is true. But there is something else you should know. The mercenaries, keepers, whatever you want to call them, they all gave names to the lerwicks they were to watch over. I can’t say for certain if that was just a way to keep them organized. Or if it was an act of love, no matter how strange that might sound. Only they could answer that. I told you that you were my first, but what I didn’t tell you was that I did not give you your name.

  “Your mother did.”

  “M-My mother?”

  “Yes, Viola. I will never forget that young woman, crying in front of me, clutching her babes one in each arm. All three of you were diseased. In the most selfless act I’ve ever seen, she begged me to save her children with no regard for her own wellbeing. ‘This is Jarlen and this is Viola,’ she said, handing you both to me before collapsing on the floor.

  “She had already known that she wasn’t long for this world, but that was of no concern to her. A mother’s will alone gave her enough strength to carry on, days longer than she should have had. In her last moments, all she wanted was to see that her children had a chance, if only a small one. So you see, Viola, I didn’t give you your name. I simply honored the one you already had. That brave woman did not see you as a creation. You were her daughter, and Jarlen was her son.”