Blood Captain

by Justin Somper

  “As you all know, the captain is deeply committed to helping people, often people who refuse to help themselves. It’s as if he is hardwired never to give up on them. Not until the very end. The captain has put a good deal of strain upon himself carrying the burdens of others.” He locked eyes with them, making sure they were following, before he continued.

  “All three of you have, at one time or another, experienced the ribbon healing we practice here. You’ll recall that in the healing ceremonies, I draw the pain out from each tormented vampire and channel it into the ribbon. Each time I do this, there’s a danger that I myself absorb their pain. Once it’s there, it can become trapped and is very hard to remove. Well, over the years, the captain has allowed too much of others’ pain to accumulate inside him. It is weighing him down. But the captain has not merely carried the pain of others. It goes deeper than that. He is what is known as a Soul Carrier or a Collector of Souls. This means that, in some cases, when trying to rescue someone, he hasn’t just taken their pain away; he has drawn their whole soul into him. He is, if you like, a ship within a ship.

  “It is a sign of the captain’s great strength that he is able to carry souls in this way. It should only ever be a temporary measure, used in extremis. After giving the vulnerable souls shelter for a time, he should release them and allow them to become strong in themselves once more. But the captain has harbored too many souls inside him for too long. This is the reason he has grown so weak. Together, we must work to release those souls from him. It is neither straightforward, nor free from danger. We risk losing not only those souls but also the captain himself.”

  “And what if we don’t take that risk?” Grace asked.

  “Then we’ll almost certainly lose him, and them, in any case.”

  “Then we have no choice,” Grace said.

  “That’s my feeling,” Mosh Zu said. “I think we must proceed with this healing and we must do it now, without further delay.”

  “Yes,” Darcy said. “But I don’t understand. How can we help?”

  “Perhaps the greatest danger of all,” Mosh Zu said, “is that the captain will choose not to release the souls. I need to gather around him the people he cares most deeply about, and those who care most deeply about him. Only then can I show him that he must release the souls, or else journey with them into oblivion.”

  56

  BEHIND THE MASK

  The door opened. “The preparations are over,” announced Mosh Zu. “We will begin.”

  Mosh Zu beckoned Grace, Darcy, and Lorcan to join him in the healing chamber. As they stepped inside, Grace’s senses were overwhelmed with the smell of beeswax from the candles and the sweet herbs with which Mosh Zu had earlier strewn the floor.

  Judging by their expressions, Darcy and Lorcan were clearly shocked to see the captain laid out on the slab. And, even though Grace had seen him like this before, she still felt a fresh jolt of panic at being reminded how weak and vulnerable he was. But we’re here to heal him, she told herself. Together, we’re going to bring him back. The thoughts helped to strengthen her resolve. Even so, she was keen to get on with the healing process.

  “Grace,” said Mosh Zu, “I’d like you to sit at his feet.” Grace did not hesitate but went to the end of the slab and knelt down before it.

  Now Mosh Zu turned to Darcy. “You come over here, by his right hand,” he said. “And you, Lorcan, you sit by his left hand.”

  The three friends took up their positions. Mosh Zu approached the captain’s head. Grace watched him. He had told her that she had a talent for healing — one day, perhaps, she would lead a healing such as this. It was exciting to contemplate but she filed this thought away, returning her sole focus to the work at hand.

  Before he began, Mosh Zu addressed the others once more, his voice soft and precise. “We are all here today because of our love and respect for the one who lies here before us. We want to help the captain and it is in our power to do so.” He looked at each of them in turn. “We come together from different worlds, from different sides of life and death. We bring together all our unique experiences, thoughts, and feelings and unite them and gather our diverse energies to this task of healing. We may be worried or even scared by what we witness during the healing process but we must remain steadfast for the good of the one who lies before us, our dear captain.”

  Mosh Zu placed his hands on the Vampirate captain’s head. He nodded to Grace, who reached out with both hands, each touching the tip of the captain’s boots. “That’s it,” whispered Mosh Zu, “just the gentlest of touches will suffice — you’re simply allowing your energy to connect with his.” He turned to Darcy and Lorcan. “And now you.”

  Darcy and Lorcan each reached out and clasped the captain’s gloved hands in their own. Mosh Zu nodded, then opened up his palms to cradle the captain’s skull. He closed his own eyes.

  “Begin to let it out,” he said, softly. “Begin to let go of the pain that weighs you down.”

  He fell silent and waited, his hands lightly but firmly supporting the base of the captain’s skull. The others maintained their points of contact. Grace suddenly felt a jolt as though the captain’s foot had lashed out at her. She glanced up and saw that the foot was stone still. Then she felt it again. It was a very definite sensation.

  “It’s a good sign,” said Mosh Zu. “Maintain the hold, Grace. It’s beginning.”

  Suddenly Darcy felt a charge pass through her from the captain’s hands. She looked up, seeing that Lorcan was looking equally surprised. Once more Mosh Zu nodded, without opening his eyes. “This is good, everyone. Our contact is working. It’s going to get bumpy, but just focus on holding him. Hold him in your heart spaces as you do with your touch. Give him the reassurance to shed his deep burden.”

  Mosh Zu adjusted his own hold. Almost immediately, Grace had the sensation of the captain’s legs buckling. And yet, he still had not moved. She could see from Lorcan’s face that he was experiencing something similar. Just as Mosh Zu had promised, the energies within the captain were beginning to realign. It was becoming harder to keep her hands on his feet but she knew that it was vital she did so.

  There was a fresh surge of energy. The captain began flailing about. Grace saw Lorcan and Darcy adjust their holds. She found herself struggling once more. They each only had a hand, but she had both his feet and they were each moving in different directions. It was becoming too much for her. She started to panic. If she let go, she might break an important part of the healing process.

  Suddenly, she felt an arm at her side. It brushed hers aside and took hold of the captain’s right foot, enabling her to set both hands on his left one. It was still pulsing with energy, but now that she had only one foot to focus on, she could manage.

  After a time, she grew used to the strange movements emanating from the captain’s body. The movements themselves became more regular, like waves breaking on a shore.

  She turned to see whose hands had come to her aid. And could scarcely believe her eyes.

  “Connor!” she gasped.

  He smiled back at her. “Looks like I got here just in time,” he whispered.

  Grace was amazed. There was so much she wanted to say to him, to ask him. But now was not the time. It felt so right to have Connor with them at this moment. She glanced up at Mosh Zu, wondering if he had somehow brought Connor to join them. He nodded at her, smiling.

  Whether through Connor’s intervention or because of the healing work they had done together, the captain’s internal movements became steadier.

  “Can you feel the change?” Mosh Zu asked.

  “Yes,” Lorcan answered softly.

  “Me, too,” Darcy said.

  “It’s like the ocean’s moving inside him,” said Grace.

  “Yes, Grace.” Mosh Zu smiled softly. “I hadn’t thought of it like that before, but you’re quite right.” He paused. “All right, he’s comfortable now. You can release your touch. One at a time. Lorcan first.”

&
nbsp; Lorcan let go of the captain’s hand. It remained stretched out toward him.

  “Now you, Darcy.” Almost reluctantly, Darcy, too, let go. Both the captain’s arms remained extended, as if he were floating on the salt-rich ocean.

  “Next you, Connor.” Connor took his hands away from the captain’s foot.

  “And now you, Grace,” said Mosh Zu, nodding. Grace lifted her hands from the captain’s boot and rocked back gently onto her knees. She reached out and gripped Connor’s hand, as if to reassure herself he was actually there.

  Now, Mosh Zu himself stepped away from the captain. “Your burden is ready to be lifted,” he said. “Feel how much lighter you are becoming.”

  At these words, the captain began to rise into the air, his cape floating up beneath him, fluttering at the outskirts of his body, glimmering with soft light. The captain’s body rose about a foot and a half off the slab, then stopped in midair, floating within the circle created by the others.

  It was an extraordinary sight. Grace, Darcy, Lorcan, and Connor were all transfixed. None of them sensed how much time had passed before Mosh Zu spoke once more.

  “All right,” he said. “I think he’s steady now. We are ready to begin.”

  To begin? Grace was surprised by the choice of words. She had thought the treatment must nearly be over. What did Mosh Zu mean by “begin”?

  “It is time to let go,” Mosh Zu said, gazing down upon the captain. “For so long, you have carried the hurt of others. You have taken hold of their pain in order to heal them. But now you have nothing left to give. You must let their pain out. As you do so, the weight upon you, within you, will lift again.”

  Grace noticed that the veins within the captain’s cloak were glowing brighter and brighter at Mosh Zu’s words.

  “Come,” Mosh Zu said. “It is time to remove the mask.”

  He beckoned the others toward him. “There are three buckles here. Lorcan, come and unfasten the first of them.”

  Grace, for one, needed little reminder that the captain’s mask was fastened at three points, which came together in a silver pin shaped like angel wings at the back of his skull. So many times she had seen that silver pin, bright against the deep brown skin at the back of the captain’s head. So many times she had wished that he might unfasten the buckles and show her the face behind the mask. Now, it was actually going to happen. At last, she would stand face-to-face with the Vampirate captain. At last, she could begin to truly know him. If only, she thought sadly, it could have been in different, less dangerous, circumstances.

  Lorcan came to Mosh Zu’s side and let the guru’s hand guide him toward the first strap.

  “All you need to do is to touch the strap,” Mosh Zu said.

  As Lorcan did so, Mosh Zu began chanting.

  Like the flower blooming in the sun,

  Open and release!

  Like the cloud letting loose the rain,

  Open and release!

  As he spoke, the first buckle unfastened and gently floated out to the side.

  “Thank you, Lorcan,” said Mosh Zu. “And now you, Darcy. Come and help with the second.”

  Now Darcy approached, with some trepidation.

  Touch the strap,” instructed Mosh Zu.

  As she did so, he chanted once more.

  Like the shell liberating the pearl,

  Open and release!

  Like the chrysalis releasing the butterfly,

  Open and release!

  Once more, the strap released itself and floated out to the side.

  “Good work, Darcy.” Mosh Zu smiled. “And now, Grace, the final strap is for you.”

  Connor gave Grace’s hand a supportive squeeze before letting it go. She stepped over to Mosh Zu’s side. Her heart was racing with anticipation. Ever since she had first encountered the Vampirate captain, she had waited for this moment. Now, her deep fascination was tempered by the heartfelt longing that her actions would help him, heal him. She reached out for the final remaining strap.

  Once more, Mosh Zu chanted.

  Like the mouth setting free laughter,

  Open and release!

  Like all these things, great and small,

  Open and release!

  Open and release!

  Open and release!

  She heard the buckle release. As it did, the wings on the buckle began to flap, as gently as the wings of a butterfly. The mask flew up above the captain’s prone body. It continued its flight up toward the ceiling. None of them saw where it went next. Their gaze was fixed downward. None of them could quite believe their eyes.

  “I don’t understand,” said Grace.

  “Nor me,” said Lorcan. “Is this some kind of trick?”

  Mosh Zu’s voice was calm and steady. “There’s no trick. Just observe it. Do not try to understand it.”

  Grace’s heart was racing faster than ever. At the same time, she felt a chill through her very insides. The captain’s body floated before them, but he had no face, no head. There was nothing beneath the mask at all.

  57

  REUNION

  “There’s nothing there,” Grace said.

  “See with your mind,” said Mosh Zu. “Not with your eyes.”

  They all looked down at the gap above the captain’s shoulders. There was still very clearly an absence of anything. You could see straight through to the thin pillow Mosh Zu had placed on the slab.

  As they looked down, Grace realized that she could no longer see the floorboards. They were hidden from view under a layer of smoke. Her first thought was that a candle had fallen and set one of the tapestries alight. But there was no smell of burning. Nor was the room warm with fire. Indeed, if anything, it had grown cooler. The smoke thickened and Grace realized that it was not smoke but mist. She looked across at Connor. He stared back at her, confused. She smiled faintly, hoping somehow to reassure him, though she was no more certain about what was happening than he was.

  The mist reached up to the level of the captain’s prone body but no higher. Instead, it began to thicken and take shape, rolling back and forth like waves on the shore. Now, more than ever, the captain appeared to be floating.

  Grace looked once more toward Mosh Zu. His eyes were tightly shut and he was chanting softly once more.

  Like the flower blooming in the sun . . .

  Like the cloud letting loose the rain . . .

  Like the shell liberating the pearl . . .

  Grace felt herself trembling. Connor came and stood beside her, resting a hand gently on her shoulder.

  Grace turned her gaze from Mosh Zu down to the captain once more. As she did so, she caught her breath. There, where previously there had been nothing, a face was beginning to form. It was very faint at first — no more than an outline — but slowly it came into focus as if it, too, were rising through a deep mist. Grace was transfixed. It was a face she had seen before.

  As the features began to sharpen, she remembered her first meeting with the Vampirate Captain. Talking to him, she had suddenly had a vision of a man’s face, his deep brown skin marked with a crimson scar. This was that face. The captain had congratulated her for seeing behind the mask. And now, so much further on in her journey, his mask was removed and here was his face, visible at last.

  “It’s him,” she gasped. “That’s the captain.”

  Connor gazed down in amazement. Lorcan was transfixed. Mosh Zu’s eyes remained closed and he continued to chant.

  Like the chrysalis releasing the butterfly . . .

  Like the mouth setting free laughter . . .

  “Look!” Connor whispered in her ear.

  They watched as the face began to rise up. A body followed. A man was climbing out from the captain’s familiar armor. But he was clothed in stained and tattered rags. He looked up at Grace.

  “Hello,” she said, smiling. She realized she was crying. Something amazing had happened in this room. It was as if a baby had been born.

  The man gazed back at her, but
he did not smile. He cowered from her.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Grace. She turned to Mosh Zu. “He seems frightened of me. Doesn’t he know me any more?”

  Mosh Zu shook his head. “He doesn’t know you. He is not the captain.”

  “What? I don’t understand . . .” Grace began.

  “Wait,” Mosh Zu said softly. “Wait and watch.”

  Confused, Grace watched as the man stepped away from the shell of the captain’s body and began walking off through the mist.

  “It’s happening again,” Connor whispered.

  They all watched as a second face began to take shape in the void above the captain’s shoulders. As the features became clearer through the mist, they saw a woman’s face. She looked old and frail, her eyes flickering around her. It wasn’t clear whether she was looking at them or through them. Now she too rose, as if pushing back the sheets of a bed, and stepped out from the captain’s body, making her way into the mist.

  “Who are they?” Connor asked as a third face began to take shape.

  “These are lost souls,” Grace whispered, suddenly realizing. “The captain has been carrying them. They need to be released.” Mosh Zu nodded, never wavering from his chanting.

  The third soul — that of a young man — began to rise.

  Together, they watched a fourth, then a fifth figure emerge from the captain’s body.

  “How many more?” Grace asked. She felt deeply emotional and realized tears were running down her face.

  They watched in silence as a sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth figure awoke from the depths of their “sleep,” rubbing their eyes and glancing about the room, then rising and stepping out into the mist.

  Throughout, the captain’s husk of a body lay there, still floating. And Mosh Zu continued his chant, his voice unwaveringly strong and melodic.