“Hamish, after tonight, there won’t even be a war going on anymore. It’ll be us kicking a bunch of kittens,” I set his mind to rest.
“Lo and behold,” I say as the car pulls up to the resting grounds, “a thousand fleeing wolves…”
We get out of the car, and as I predicted, the wolves are running. They fight, though they are moving in the direction of the forest. A strike here, a death there, but my vampires have no issue with their wolves. The order was no doubt given by Romulus himself, who I understand took a few severe wounds in the battle.
Good.
Let them run.
“Kill all the survivors that squirm on our land and throw them back into the forest. Make sure that each and every one is returned to their alpha.” A wall of wolves. Well, wolf corpses. Sounds rather interesting to see.
Chapter Twenty: The Jade Emperor
A funeral for a Forsaken. How tragic the events that unfold when we must bury one of our own. Zeus was killed by a mere mortal. What does that mean for the rest of us? I find myself less and less interested in the matters of the other Forsaken lately. Many of them have begun losing or dropping power with people that half false belief in them only to show that if they do die they want to come to their own personal heaven. My people have worshiped me for years before I was exposed and their love and adoration has only grown stronger since.
“Yan Wang.” A good friend of mine and the God of Death among our people foresees and oversees the life and death of anyone and everyone to have and will ever live. I call him through the temple walls. He will get the message and be with me shortly.
As predicted, it doesn’t take long before Yan Wang arrives. Clasped in one hand is a pen, the other, his book – the book of the dead.
“Yes?” He stands before me where I sit in a meditative pose on a comfortable rug on the floor. Surrounding us are the pillars holding up the great hall where various members of my order so well as a few of the deities that have ascended their mortal coil often come to give praise. Today I am here alone. I rest. Think. Prepare.
“Your book…why did it not prophesize the death of Zeus?” A simple question and one that I know has a hundred answers. Both I and Yan have had our abilities altered in many ways. Once only documenting life and death, Yan now has the potential to predict the death of those who are going to die.
Useful insider information, if I’ve ever seen it.
“Because that is not how it works.” He takes his robe off, placing the book and pen atop it. He sits down in front of me.
“And is it true? The rumors I hear around the temple? You have figured out how to use the books as a weapon?”
He nods. “It is.”
“For good, I do hope.” I stand, and he follows.
“Naturally,” he proclaims.
We walk through the Jade Temple. Its beautiful construction of reds, golds, and greens all shimmering in beautiful sunlight that only goes down at my command. Transcending the mortal plane myself, it has taken eons to learn these strange abilities that I now possess. Only scraping the surface of my understanding in my own powers, I was elected as the head of our domain through the sheer resilience I show in bettering the world for my people and myself. With Yan Wang as my chosen second, we have built a world of good for those around us and those under us.
“Then what happened to Zeus?” I ask. Yan goes into his book and scrolls through empty page upon empty page. When he finally stops, he takes his pen and touches it against the page. Ink spreads over the blank page, words pouring over the book. Random ramblings as I can see it from here. One of Yan Wang’s own creations on the matter. Safety in the sense that no one can predict or understand what is written, thus, making him the only true one who can command the book.
“Zeus is not dead.”
I don’t understand. I say nothing while I wait for him to continue.
“His body is dead. His spirit is split. It is unclear precisely what has happened to him. The book tells of his last battle. It does not speak about where he is now. The only time this happens is if one enters the Darkness, Emperor.”
Interesting. We get to my chamber. Yan Wang has already prepared for where we are headed. I go into my wardrobe and begin changing while I think.
“You said he is split? What does that mean?” I finally ask.
“It means his spirit has been divided. Into what, I have no idea.”
“And the other is also hidden?” I change into red robes, with golden lotus flowers running down and around them. I tie my long black hair up with a pin in the middle forming what I now understand is called a bun.
“Yes. They’re both gone. Wiped from the vision of my book.” I nod. We begin making our way to the portal room.
“Interesting. I do believe this could prove troublesome. And the one who killed him was the one we sentenced to the Darkness at the tribunal?”
“Indeed.”
We walk in silence from here. I believe it is a quiet contemplation. Yan Wang has never had it necessary to find the small details in the larger picture. He only sets the scene for me through his words. I am the one that put the meat on the bones. It is how we have always worked in this matter. I just don’t know how to place this. The sheer complexity of what we face has no place in our world. Never have I heard of someone with the potential to sentence a Forsaken to the Darkness, and now this man is running amok among us?
“And where is Victor then?” I ask, reaching the grand doors of the portal room. They are closed. With a wave of my hand, they swing open to expose small pools of glowing blue liquid. A small, natural reserve that treats the pools of my portals as water, growing flowers, trees, and various other plant life from both the outside worlds and the Forsaken realm. A massive piece of my temple was dedicated to this natural reserve. Wildlife is important, and here they have the potential to live well, with the portals as their source of nutrition. I wonder, from time to time, what effect this would have on their genetic chemistry.
I’ve never bothered looking deeper into it.
“Again, I can’t say. After he killed Zeus, it seems he has vanished off the face of the Earth. Not even this…vanished from existence. My book cannot find him, and nor can anything or anyone else.”
We enter the portal room and walk by many pools. Each one leads to another section of the Forsaken realm. The massive property we control means that for everyone to move on foot or even by car or any other contraption would take far too long to get anywhere. Many have different methods of travel, but the portal room here is where I tend to find it best for my movement. Direct control without interference.
We get to one that leads into Asgard. From what I understand, we are to meet Zeus near the Bifrost, where he was killed. There we will say our goodbyes before allowing him to be returned to Mount Olympus.
We step in, and within a second we are out. A large amount of Forsaken that have turned up for this event pleases me. Sending a true warrior to his rest as a culmination.
Yan Wang and I do not discuss the rest of this further. The conversation should not be spread until we have concrete evidence and ideas. So, we fall silent in preparation. A few minutes pass, and Athena and Hercules take a stand beside a coffin they rested Zeus in. Open. Nothing changed apart from the clothes he wore. I can feel the radiating power from whatever is inside him.
“You have all come here today to pay your respects to a great man and leader among our people. We thank you for this. My father’s death was ill timed and unwarranted. Whoever killed him will pay for their crimes against the Forsaken. That is all. There won’t be a big to do,” Athena speaks over the crowd. I can feel the disappointment run through the crowd. They were expecting a spectacle over the dead.
I understand her grief and do not blame her for this. Hercules lifts the coffin and begins walking with it through the crowd. Those nearby touch the coffin, saying what seems to be a quick prayer.
“Yan, return home. I must do something first,” I say, as the crowd cri
es out over their disappointment in the way it turned out. I walk over to the Bifrost. Around me, people begin walking away. No others even cared to inspect the bridge to the Earth realm. How foolish.
I sit down beside it and begin meditating. It’s not long before I hear it. The Bifrost sings out in pain.
Something within her is unwell.
Chapter Twenty: Mason
“What do you want from us, Mason?” Generations of living as various versions of myself have taught me a few things. Some of them are eager to return to the surface, while others are happy to remain hidden. They had their time in the spotlight, and that was enough for them. I bring up the last few versions of myself. Five fill the room. Each one dressed in their own uniforms from their time. The man in black, sipping a glass of what looks like sherry. My spiritual guide oversees this commune.
“You may have information I need,” I reply to the version who spoke.
Tyr sits in the back quietly, in the same cross-legged pose as he always is.
The one who speaks was a crusader during the Holy War, though his outfit changed to fit his own needs. Instead of the white cloak with a red cross, it was black with a white cross. From my understanding, they called this man the reaper for his utter might. Because he was a vampire, he would only go out at night, but that only built his legend. Believing that the moon gave him immense strength, tales were constructed around him and his magnificent abilities.
“What is it that you need then?” he asks.
“I need information on a traveler.” The crusader goes silent. I don’t believe he has any information on him. Many go silent. Suddenly, one appears. Vlad Tepes himself. The myth of Dracula.
“I have the answers you need,” he says calmly. “You cannot look too far back, for that is not where he is from. I heard tales of a mighty being around my birth and into my aging. Tales of a time traveler spurred, too, but both were quickly forgotten because of my own personal battles, you see. But I’ve had hundreds of years of contemplation and believe that not all that was said may be a lie.”
“I know I heard about the travelers myself, but I know nothing about them. Who or what are they?” I ask.
“I can’t quite tell you. All I know is that this traveler had the potential to jump bodies. I feel I came in contact with him once myself but again, this could be very mistaken. They blend in with normal people. They are normal people. They simply do not age. Learning the ways of whoever or whatever they can in whatever timeframe they want. Mason, this is not something you’re going to find out through us. We might have minimal experience with these old people, but you need to get your hands on one and ring his neck until he shouts to the heavens with the answers you seek.”
Vlad is probably right. How could I ask them to tell me what they do not know? Holding commune is not for the outside strife; it’s for the internal. Now? Victor is gone, and I don’t know where to even begin looking. So, with all the information in the world, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything anyway.
“Thank you,” I stand up and begin walking to the door of my cave home.
“Is that all you brought us out here for?” the crusader nearly shouts.
“Yes,” I reply, “and you have proven un-useful.”
“Mason,” my predecessor says, “does this even concern you? Why do you care about the war between Daffyd and the wolves? Leave this traveler to his business. Don’t get involved.”
“You may not understand, but he’s threatened the Forsaken. He’s harmed a child. No one knows why. For this reason, we must find out why. And if we can’t find out why, make sure that he can’t do it again.”
They all know about my struggle to want to be an Ethereal. For some reason, I feel that this is linked to Victor.
Why? I have no reason.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Romulus
The wolves have been forced back out of the perimeter. The tunnel systems are infested with vampires and an entire pack worth of good fighters. I am the soul reason this collapse has fallen on us. Forced back into the woods where we can only sit and twiddle our thumbs, hoping for the best. Staging an attack on the vampires right now would only lead to our own defeat. Those who came to my aid and died outside Torrine, those who got held up in the ambush, too.
We’ve lost too many. Now is not the time to strike with my wolves but rather, the witches. The young girl and her brother. They should have been a part of this war from much earlier, but there was no place for them. They are brash and carefree. At least, that’s how they appear on the outside. So, trying to use them to my advantage seemed foolish earlier on. Now?
Well, they have the ability to bring the walls of that last tunnel crumbling down. A few survivors from the tunnels gave full reports surrounding these tunnels. Not the exact location but close enough that an experienced witch would be able to pick up the energy of the vampires that still keep the remainder of my wolves trapped.
They will feel the weight of their decision – and a ton of concrete – pushing down on them until they face true death.
The witch, warlock, and a good division of their coven have come to my grounds to give us support, making things easier for me. I don’t have to go hunt them down. I’ve sent word for them to come to me. I am in my home. Since Aliana’s death, I changed it around. Creating one large war room. A picture of her and my daughter sit in every room, forever driving my rage and aiming my sword.
A doctor tends to my wounds. Though I mainly only faced a few scrapes and light cuts, a few strikes were deep and dangerous. He’s patching up the wounds. I lay on a stretcher, gritting my teeth as needles and syringes tear into my skin.
I hear the two enter from the front door, making their way through the entrance hall and into the lounge.
“You called... Oh jeez.” Verona couldn’t even finish her sentence, seeing how the doctor maneuvers the meat to reform.
“What happened?”
“If we don’t hit it soon, we’re going to lose Torrine. That’s what happened.” A few more stitches and the doctor is done with me. I sit up, instinctively a hand going over the open wound on my left midsection to guard it. Interesting reaction. I haven’t had a cut this deep in a very long time, so to have the same instincts as I had when I last did is interesting enough. Keeping the wound safe as I move.
“Now, one of the lucky ones to escape the battle beneath the surface was able to give me enough intel on where the tunnel we missed is.” I can see the look of confusion on the girl’s face. Atticus says nothing. He doesn’t want to be a part of any of this anyway, so it seems my focus remains on her and her alone.
“My wolves will keep the fight on until morning and maybe longer. We have time till then to prepare your attack. We can’t do it tonight, or you will be killed.” I don’t say this to scare them or worry them. It’s the truth. They don’t know their magic well enough to create a barrier around their home. I can’t believe they would have the ability to defend themselves against a horde of vampires that are hungry and out for blood. “So tomorrow morning, the second that the sun comes over the horizon, I want you out there next to that tunnel and setting up your spell to bring the collapse of the tunnel upon the vampires.”
“What about the wolves?” Verona asks.
“Their sacrifice is appreciated and will be greatly compensated. There is no way of contact. They know they’re going to die,” I admit, mournful.
“And what about us? We get stuck out there and left to the vampires, you’d do exactly the same thing,” Atticus chimes in. A look of pure anger and hatred flashes in his eyes.
“No. It’s different. My wolves signed up to fight and die for this war. You are an asset I would rather not lose.” I don’t know if that’s true, and I don’t think they can tell either. So, nodding in acceptance, Atticus falls silent again. Telling someone what they want to hear is easier than being honest, even when the room knows it may be false.
“Now go and rest. I am going to send you along with a few wolves as protecti
on in case the White Elephants think that they can throw their hat into this one. I don’t think there should be an issue with them, though. Just push through and do what needs to be done, and you’ll be back here for lunch. With the tunnel gone, we have a chance to take Torrine. It may be a small chance, but if we can still secure a victory, even with a dramatic loss, we will show the vampires that there is nothing that can pull us down.”
Showing weakness in this time will just be foolish and dangerous. Daffyd believes he has the upper hand. He does.
But not for long. We will strike and tear them down from the outside in until we have him begging for mercy.
Chapter Twenty-Three: Verona
A short briefing of where we are heading was given to us from one of the wolves that Romulus gave as support. To my understanding, it’s just outside the wolves’ border in the forest with the vampires’ perimeter forming just on the other side. Find and destroy a tunnel. Not the most glamorous work but it seems that this is how Romulus spurred up this big battle between himself and Daffyd in the first place. Blowing tunnels and taking resting grounds. Blowing tunnels and supplies. Blowing tunnels and killing vampires. I don’t really know what else to say about it. The only thing I can think of are the stupid tunnels.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Atticus asks. His concerns are more than just about this war. He thinks about my mental state. The state of decay that causing such chaos brings. Death is never easy to face, but being on the end of the trigger that causes it has never before fallen in my cards. Atticus is the one who usually stands as protector. Even so, I don’t believe he’s done anything like this either. A simple minded, good-hearted man.
So, I don’t find it too terribly inconvenient that he’s looking out for me. He wants to be sure that we can walk away from this without any harm, and that’s something I don’t know if I can promise. We are sacrificing the lives of many wolves here for a battle that has nothing to do with us. Atticus has made that point very clear; however, it’s one that we…I agreed to be in, and I can’t go back on that now.
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