by Greg Hair
“You could always switch sides.”
“No. I am here until the end. No matter how that end may come.”
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing. Nevermind. Look, just listen to me, and watch your back. Don’t let your guard down with him. He was expecting to be chosen as Jamie’s successor. And now you’ve stopped him from killing me.”
“Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.” Serinda stood, taking Tsukiko’s hand. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up. Self-healing does not equal self-cleaning.”
The two women, werewolf and vampire, left the ubliet, the place of Tsukiko’s near-death, and headed toward the kitchen for water, soap, and washcloths. While the internal wounds had healed, the outside still showed the brutality of the beating.
Chapter 15: Requiem
“Yeah,” said Jamie. “She’s gone.”
“How far did you get?” Nicholas asked.
“To Dalmally. Tracked her scent to the pub, but it ends there. She’s not around here anymore.”
“You may have his genes, but you certainly don’t have his nose.”
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing.”
The bright sun beamed down the two werewolves standing in the soft green grass outside Kilchurn.
“You’re right,” continued Nicholas. “She is gone. Long gone by now. It’s time to move on. I suspect we’re only days away now, from Landon and his people coming.”
“So what does that mean?”
“We need to begin preparing. It’s time to construct our army.”
Nicholas suddenly stopped, and began looking and listening in all directions. Nothing. No movement, no sound.
Seconds later, Tsukiko came rushing out of the castle, followed closely by Serinda.
“Do you feel that?” asked the Japanese werewolf. “It’s like a giant wave crashing down on us.”
“I do,” said Nicholas. “Now, quiet.”
Then, emerging on the hills from the south, the dark figures of two, then ten, then twenty, all rising up, then coming down the hill. The numbers kept growing. A multitude of vampires and werewolves.
“Is this it?” Jamie asked. “Is this the fight?”
“No,” said Nicholas. “It’s our recruits.”
Nicholas stopped counting heads after one hundred, though it was obvious the number only went up from there.
“Prepare yourself, Jamie,” he said, walking away, heading toward the coming mass. “They’re going to want a pep talk.” He stopped, turning his head slightly. “You, too…queen.”
Moments later, Nicholas led the recruits to the foot of Kilchurn. Jamie stood before a crowd of hundreds.
“Jamie,” Nicholas began, “you should address the werewolves first. Then, Serinda, the vampires. Finally, bring them together.”
Jamie cleared his throat, and stepped forward.
“This will only take a moment,” he began, raising his voice toward the heights of heaven, “then we can begin our preparations. I was just advised for my wife and I to speak to our own kinds separately, then bring the two groups together. I think the better idea is to say this, to both groups: if you want to live under a new dawn for both our species, welcome to Kilchurn Castle. If you want to die like dogs and leeches, you can wait on the other side of the hills for our enemies to arrive, then be led to slaughter as they will be.
“If you are here, and I see no one running for the hills, then I say welcome my brothers and sisters. Let us prepare for the coming of Landon Murphy and his minions. I am Jamie, your king, and this is my wife, Serinda, your queen. We have been joined as one, just as both species have now come together as one, living, breathing entity, ready to destroy that which comes to destroy us. They are bringing the battle to us, and we will be ready…to greet them with the death they deserve. And now, Nicholas and I will go to create conscriptions and add to our already swelling numbers. Again, welcome to Kilchurn, and a new beginning. As gods!”
The crowd roared to life, hundreds of hands raised high, chanting Jamie’s name.
“Good speech,” Nicholas said, trying to hear himself over the throngs of werewolves and vampires.
“I’ve been paying attention to how you speak,” said Jamie. “Educated and eloquent. I didn’t want to sound like a teenager. So, how do we go about creating the other part of our army?”
“You know how. We go to the surrounding villages, and turn every person we find. We will have a force that will make Heaven and Hell tremble.
“Serinda and Tsukiko, take our guests to Dalmally. There’s plenty of lodging there, now. I’m sure they will want to eat. Jamie and I will spare the next village over, so that our people may feed, and gain strength. We will be back tonight. Training begins tomorrow, at dawn.”
“Yes, Nicholas,” said Tsukiko.
“I love how you still want to give orders to your king and queen,” Serinda said.
“You know what?” said Nicholas, snapping his body toward her. He felt Jamie move in closer. “You’re right,” he continued, smiling. “I owe you, Jamie, and Tsukiko an apology for my behavior. I should not treat women the way I do. I should lift them up, raise them from the ground, and put them on a pedestal for all the world to see. And I should remember this is a team, and you and Jamie are my queen, and king, respectively. Now please, Jamie, we must hurry if want to be back by dark.”
Soon after, having left everyone speechless, and the castle of Kilchurn behind, Nicholas and Jamie traversed the Scottish countryside, moving from village to village, leaving a trail of blood, screams, newly formed werewolves, and orphaned children, those deemed too young to fight, in their wake.
Returning to Kilchurn, hundreds of villagers in tow, Nicholas and Jamie led their conscripted followers through the open field.
The majority of the villagers that trailed the two werewolves, were nude, their clothes having been ripped from their bodies during the attack. A few still had some shreds of attire to protect what little dignity they had left.
The villagers walked slowly, some limping along, others almost carried by their fellow Scots. A few would drop periodically and crawl, helped back to their feet by friends and relatives. A handful had fallen, and died, by the wayside during the journey, the impact of their situation to much to bear. One woman, a member of the fallen, had actually continued on the march, her body dragged by her still living husband who couldn’t seem to part with her.
Many of the Scots wailed over the loss of their children, at least those descendants that were too young to join and were, therefore, deemed extra baggage and left behind to fend for themselves. Nicholas listened to the crying, the screaming, the heartbreaking prayers thrown toward Heaven. It was like music to his ears—like conducting Ode to Joy to the movements of a brutal attack.
Looking back at the Scottish Trail of Tears, Nicholas thought about the one historical event he regretted being unable to attend.
What must it have been like, he thought, to stand there when the rail cars arrived at the camps? All those transports filled with the weak, those human liabilities. Oh, the work I could have achieved had I been a part of that movement. If only I had not been working for those insufferable Consuls at the time. It is quite okay, though. It would have been more difficult to arrange a believable coup against Hitler had I joined him, and had he succeeded. Landon is much easier.
Then, Nicholas had an idea. He quickly turned around to face the following crowd and, a single claw extended, began leaving on the forearms of each villager a scratch—his own version of those infamous numbers.
“What are you doing?” asked Jamie.
“Marking my territory.”
Suddenly, a local dropped to her knees, grabbing Nicholas’ legs.
“Please, sir,” she wailed, like a banshee in her Scottish accent. “We’ve done no wrong. Please let us return to our children. Or let my teenage son return to them. Spare him. Please, have mercy. Mercy!”
“It is mercy you wi
sh to have?”
The woman looked up, locking her eyes onto his, a glimmer of hope in her stare. She nodded.
“I shall give you mercy.”
Nicholas suddenly grabbed the woman’s son as the boy stood beside her, beheading him immediately. The teen’s head rolled away as his body slumped to the ground.
“There is your mercy,” he said, barely audible to even himself over her screams. “Had I allowed him to live, the time between now and his death would have been only days, but would have seemed like eternity. The anticipation of an event is worse than the event itself. Therefore, your mercy, my lady.”
Nicholas bowed to the broken woman before continuing on.
Finally, Nicholas and Jamie reached the front gate of Kilchurn, and entered.
“I want the locals from the various towns kept sequestered,” said Nicholas.
“Why? They need to train.”
“I have my reasons.”
“Where am I supposed to put them?”
“I trust you will find a place.”
Then Nicholas went one way, while Jamie searched for food.
Serinda brought a plate of stacked meat to her husband, like a woman having dinner prepared for her hard-working man upon returning home to her and the children.
Nicholas kept to himself, waving Tsukiko away as she approached. He entered his chamber, and closed the door behind him.
Chapter 16: Requiem
“Where is she?” pleaded Ryker, entering the charred fortress of Burghausen. “Where’s my wife? Where’s Annelise?”
Alessandro followed at a distance.
“Wait a minute, Ryker,” said a blonde-haired woman in a German accent, placing her vampire hand to his chest to stop him. “There are some things you need to know before you see her.”
Ryker looked down at the woman’s hand, up to her eyes, and tried to go around. The German vampire blocked his path continuously.
“Ryker,” she said, “she’s here. She’s safe. Give me a minute. Please.”
“Who are you? How do you know my name?”
“My name’s Jasmin,” she said, placing a ‘y’ at the beginning of her name. “You really think that a coven of vampires living in Berlin wouldn’t know what happens in Burghausen? Wouldn’t know who you are? We’re on the same side. A lot of people worked hard, risking their lives against Nicholas and his minions to get her here. You’ve traveled far, having to double back in the direction you came. You’ve waited this long, another couple of minutes won’t make a difference.”
Ryker backed down, exhaling heavily. “Go ahead.”
“You need to know that whatever I say next, she will recover.”
“Okay.” Ryker looked around for Alessandro. The Italian was carefully exploring the former castle complex. The Dane turned back to Jasmin. “Go on.”
“Your wife has suffered greatly. Physically, she’s in one piece; mentally, her mind is fractured. Like I said, she’ll recover, but it’s going to take time. I don’t know what exactly he did to her, but…we’ve had to take certain measures to make sure she feeds, to rebuild her strength.”
“What are you talking about?” Ryker grew more agitated by the minute.
“We’ve had to give her, and continue to give her, child-blood.”
“You what? She can’t have that! She would never drink that!” Ryker tried again to past Jasmin, when several German vampires approached. “Really? You really think you can stop me?”
“No,” said Jasmin. “You are co-Consul. We understand what that means. But please, listen. We must give her child-blood, because, first, it’s the only thing she’ll drink; we’ve tried other sources. Second, we believe that’s what she was fed by Nicholas. She keeps repeating ‘save the children,’ and we’re not sure what that means, but the blood that’s in her is young blood. We don’t believe your wife is one who would normally drink child-blood, so we think it was used as part of her…torture.
“Because that appears to be the case, she must continue to have to gain strength. Child-blood, as you know, is the freshest, least-toxic blood there is. She’s going to need all the strength she can get, so that when the time comes to wean her off it, and she weakens again from going cold-turkey, it won’t be so bad.
“As I stated, a lot people risked much to save her; you must trust us. We know what we’re doing, and whatever we do is to help.”
Ryker relaxed, standing down, as they would say in the military, from his attack posture. He sat down.
“Where are you getting the child-blood?” he asked.
“We have connections in various hospitals. They give the sources the impression of another blood test. No one is harmed. Listen, Ryker, there’s a little more. She’s very confused. She’s wandering around here like the place hasn’t been destroyed. Time and place are fluctuating in her mind. We think that’s why she kept saying ‘Burghausen.’ She wanted to be brought here…to where she thinks is still home. When you and your friend take her back to Italy, we’ll give you the tools you need to keep helping her, but you’ve got to be delicate. And keep that delicacy in mind when you see her in a moment. Be careful what you say; introduce reality only sporadically. Do you understand?”
“I do. Nicholas is going to die, very soon.”
Jasmin motioned to the other German vampires to back away.
“You may see her now. She’s in what used to be the garden. Thankfully, all the bodies were buried by the locals after your team left. Now, when you reach the remains of the garden, remember, don’t overreact, and don’t be overly emotional. Act normal. It’s just like waking a sleepwalker.
“There is a friend of hers, and yours I believe, with her at this moment. Your friend, who has also been given instructions in how to care for your wife, will travel with you back to Italy. Good luck.”
Ryker stood and, making his way toward the former Southern Garden, felt sympathetic pats on his back from the German coven. The dark of the castle looked even more so under a starless night sky. The bodies were, indeed, gone, but Burghausen, a burnt shadow of its former self, haunted the landscape, like a great life that had, prematurely, been left to die.
Walking through the remains of the great carcass, Ryker came to where the greenhouse once stood, the colorful varieties of living flora having been replaced dark emptiness and death. Sitting inside, was a blonde woman, who Ryker, at first, mistook for his wife.
Then he saw, standing near the chipped remnants of the central fountain, Annelise. She turned, and locked eyes onto him. He paid no attention to the other woman.
“Ryker, honey,” she said, her voice strained, not yet full as it should be, “have you seen this? All the plants are beginning to wilt. Do you know why? Do you think we can bring them back?”
The Dane turned his back to her, not wanting her to see the uncontrollable sobbing that exploded out of him. Suddenly, he felt her hand on his back.
“What’s wrong?” she asked. “Is it the plants? I think they may be okay. The just need some extra love and care.”
“No,” he mustered, turning back around. “It’s not the plants. And yes, I do believe we can bring them back to where they once were. Stronger than before, more beautiful than ever. You’re right; we can save them, save anything, or anyone, with extra love and care.”
“That’s good. By the way, have you seen LillyAnna? I can’t find her. I can’t find anyone. Where is everybody?”
“I’m glad you asked,” he said, his brain racing to think of what to say next. “Everyone’s in Italy…on vacation. You and I were still packing, so I told them to go ahead. They’re all waiting for us, for you, there, in Venice. Are you ready to go?”
“Oh, yes, I’d love to go to Italy. Even the children are there?” He watched her begin to drift. “The children…save the children. Save the children.”
“Yes,” said Ryker, putting his palm to her cheek, trying to bring her back. “Liam and Mara are there. And LillyAnna. She’s waiting until you get there to go shopping. She w
on’t go without you.”
“I’d love to go. By the way, you remember Katarzyna, don’t you?”
Ryker suddenly remembered there was another woman in the garden, still sitting only feet from him.
“Katarzyna? Yes, I do remember her. I mean, you.” He reached his hand out in a gentlemanly gesture to help the woman to her feet. “I haven’t seen you in years.”
“Seventy-two, to be exact,” she said. “Not since you and your wife helped my country when we were invaded by the Nazis.”
“That was a very difficult time for Poland, and you, if I recall. You had been turned not long before, and we met when we heard about the invasion, and rushed to aide your people.”
“Yes. We tried desperately to find my family, but never did. At least, not then. When the war ended, I searched again, and found that they had been killed during the first days.”
Ryker watched Katarzyn well up.
“I’m very sorry,” he said.
“Yes, well,” she began, wiping her tears away, “I’m here to repay my debt to you.”
“You are not indebted to us. That’s what my wife and I do.”
“At any rate, when I heard through the grapevine about Annelise, because you know bad news travels just as fast as good, I came immediately to help. I’m going back with you, just in case Annelise needs a woman’s touch on the way. Then, I will be joining your fight.”
“We are both very happy to have you,” said Ryker.
The husband took his wife’s hand once more, and led her back toward Burghausen’s exit.
“Join us,” Ryker said, stopping to speak to Jasmin. “We can use you.”
“We have risked much already, Dane. This is not our fight.”
“This is everyone’s fight. The world will look as you see Burghausen now if we don’t stop Nicholas. And we need as many people as possible.”
“This is true, oh, yes. Alessandro knows,” said the Italian, coming up from behind Ryker.
The Dane turned, and observed something he found quite curious. He watched Alessandro, the Italian vampire, stare, almost shyly, at Katarzyna, the Polish vampire. Ryker then looked at Katarzyna, and saw the same reaction, her eyes meeting Alessandro’s, then following his long, black hair down, scanning his body. Ryker looked one more time at Alessandro, and noticed something else in his friend’s eyes—sadness.
