The Elixir

by George Willson

  “What about the wolves?” Nadezhda asked warily.

  “I think we have bigger problems than wolves,” David said, and they disappeared into the forest next to the castle.

  They ran down the mountain through the trees until they arrived at a large rock, and they paused next to it, hoping that if the Mutations were following, they might lose their way with them hidden out of the way. Nadezhda leaned over, breathing heavily at the sudden exertion. David set Sandu down, and Nadezhda immediately forgot her weariness as she held him tightly and kissed him, tears streaming down her face in happiness. David was barely winded since he had to run slow enough to allow Nadezhda to keep up with him.

  “Where do you live?” David asked.

  “Capatsuneni Ungureni,” she replied, hardly breaking her attention from her son. “It’s just at the bottom of the mountain.” David nodded, being familiar with it.

  “You walked up here alone?” he asked, surprised.

  “I didn’t have any choice,” she said. “Everyone else was so afraid, but I had to save Sandu.” She smiled at her son and touched his head gently.

  “I cannot thank you enough,” she continued, “but who was that young man in the castle? He just looked at me when I begged for help. Why would he not jump to my aid as you did?” David only shook his head and wondered how this little episode might affect the sanity of their already edgy houseguest.

  “That would be Mr. Harker from London,” David explained. “He’s a guest of my master, and I fear, he is likely worse for the wear after this. We have been trying to keep him safe, but he thinks we’re keeping him prisoner.”

  “He looked as scared as I did,” Nadezhda said.

  “And I fear I have as much to do with that as our friends out here,” David said. He looked around the face of the rock, but he heard and saw nothing. “Let’s go.”

  He stepped away from the rock face as Nadezhda took Sandu’s hand to walk down the mountain, but a Mutation jumped down from the top of the rock and landed directly in front of them. In a flash, David drew his sword and made several swipes at the Mutation, but his enemy dodged every blow.

  “David, we’re in trouble!” Nadezhda cried out drawing his attention to a bigger problem. More Mutations arrived from around the rock and started to surround them. David looked back to the Mutation stopping his forward motion, faked a blow to one side, and when the Mutation tried to respond, David made his real move and cut him down.

  Another Mutation leapt from the top of the rock onto David’s back and tried to bite down on his neck, but David grabbed it by the hair and flung it into the growing crowd to one side.

  “Hold Sandu, and get on my back,” David told Nadezhda desperately. She picked Sandu up in one arm and put her other arm around David’s neck, hardly getting a grasp before he shot off down the mountain between the recovering Mutations.

  He knew where he was going. He angled his run to the east toward the Argeş River which was too wide to just jump across for either him or the Mutations. He knew this move would create a barrier between them to allow him to get Nadezhda home. She saw him approaching the river and panicked.

  “What are we doing?” she asked desperately.

  “We have to reach the water!” David told her.

  “But it’s freezing!”

  “Trust me!”

  She nodded, ducked her head into his back, and gripped Sandu a little tighter. To his left and right, the Mutations were charging down the hill and starting to close in on him at speeds that Nadezhda could never have managed. The wind blasted them as David ran as fast as he could managed and she struggled to hold on and shielded her face from the wind by tucking her head down behind his.

  David reached the river bank and jumped as far as he could manage. His leap covered three-quarters of the river’s width before gravity had its way, and they all splashed into the water, which did not feel cold to David. He found Nadezhda and Sandu and swam with them to the far bank.

  They glanced back to see the onslaught of Mutations reach the river, and at the sight of the water, the majority of the Mutations stop before they ever got close. One failed to stop in time, however, and fell in. It screamed in agony as it bobbed up and down in the water, desperately trying to get back to the river bank, but its skin melted off as it moved, and before long, it stopped moving and was washed downstream. David used to be worried about the Mutations infecting others by falling in the river, but he had learned over time that the water ended up diluting the Mutation blood to such a degree that when in water, it was completely harmless to anyone who might come into contact with it.

  David glanced at Nadezhda who had witnessed the death of the Mutation and saw the Mutations impatiently pacing on the opposite side.

  “What happened?” she asked.

  “We’re safe,” David assured her. “They can’t follow us.”

  “How?”

  “I really don’t know, but I take my victories where I can get them.”

  Nadezhda turned and hugged David. “Thank you,” she said. She touched his face and looked concerned. “You’re freezing.”

  “We’re all freezing,” he said noting they had just crawled out of a frigid river. “I’ll be fine. You need to get home.”

  “Can you come with me?” she asked, and while he would go with her a short distance to make sure she arrived safely, he knew she would invite him home to allow her people to thank him for his help.

  “It’ll be light soon,” David said. “The creatures who chased us can run in the daylight, but prefer the cover and fear of the night. I, on the other hand, have to return to the castle before the sun comes up.”

  “What if they come back?” she asked.

  “Don’t worry,” David said. “They won’t cross this, and the bridge isn’t for some distance. I’ll get you to sighting distance of your village, and then I’ll have to leave you.”

  “Very well,” she said disappointedly. “Thank you, David.”

  He followed the pair of them as they walked hand in hand toward their town, and little by little, he turned away from them until they looked back only to find he was gone. David was more concerned about the coming dawn which would be soon as the stars were starting to disappear in the east. Fortunately, he always came prepared for this, and he raised the hood of his cloak.

  As he walked along the river bank, he occasionally saw a Mutation on the other side, and he hoped the Mutations would altogether give up before he crossed the bridge to make his way back to Poenari. As he approached the castle, he saw the first encouraging bit of news in weeks.

  Clouds.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  “Excuse me, Mr. Harker,” Voivode said, awakening Jonathan from an unexpected slumber in the library. He recalled reading some fiction of an American author named Poe when he had drifted off to sleep, and for the briefest moment, he could not recall why he had decided to come into the library at such an hour.

  He did feel somewhat cross with Voivode the last time they had spoken, and despite the circumstances, he had to at least feign a level of cordiality until he could return to his life of sanity, for he felt his life might otherwise be in some kind of danger. He groaned as he pulled himself to standing in front of Voivode.

  “I apologize most profusely for awakening you,” Voivode said, “but I felt you might want to know that we may be leaving for England soon.”

  “Really?” Jonathan asked, truly surprised the day might actually be upon them.

  “I told you plainly that we were awaiting rain to make our departure, and I have observed considerable cloud cover as the night has progressed,” Voivode said.

  “So we are all to go together?” Jonathan asked assuming the unknown third person he had seen was part of this party, though as his mind came to him, he recalled the horrible sounds of the woman, and the reason he was in the library instead of his room. He had come here to escape the death of the woman, and the thought of what might have happened to her child.

  �
�Yes,” Voivode nodded, “that is the plan since it would be the best way to protect you.”

  The old man sounded sincere enough, but the snake also seems safe to its victim before it strikes. Now, with his faculties restored, he had difficulty believing they would be going anywhere.

  “What if I wish to leave now?” Jonathan asked, and as he expected, Voivode’s face changed to one of worry. He did not think Jonathan would ask this.

  “The coach is not ready, my friend,” Voivode explained, “and it is not safe to go now.”

  “That does not matter to me,” Jonathan said. “I can walk. In fact, my things do not matter to me either. You can send them to me when you arrive in England. I simply wish to go. Now.”

  “Please, Mr. Harker,” Voivode pleaded, “you must understand how dangerous it is out there.”

  “Oh, I understand,” Jonathan confirmed, “but I am not sure that I am much safer in here. I don’t know what is going on here, but I want nothing more than to leave your home immediately. My work here is done, is it not?”

  “Indeed,” Voivode said, “and you have performed it admirably. I assure you that I could not have done it without you, but you must listen to me when I tell you–”

  “I am not interested in what you have to tell me,” Jonathan interrupted, a part of him immediately guilty over having treated an elder in such a fashion, but he was beyond manners at this point. “If you would please open the door, I would wish to go.”

  Voivode looked at him for a good long while clearly trying to figure out what happened to lead Harker to such a decision, but in the end, Voivode only shook his head in defeat and left the room. Jonathan followed Voivode to the main castle door, hardly able to contain his excitement. The old man might well be allowing him to go, though he could not fathom how Voivode would be able to open the door when Jonathan himself was unable to budge the door or any of its latches.

  Voivode touched the door and turned back to Jonathan. “Are you certain you want to do this?” Voivode asked. “There are things out there you cannot possibly understand. I should not do this, but I also do not feel you will believe me otherwise.”

  “Just open the door,” Jonathan ordered.

  Voivode sighed and pulled the latch next to his hand which appeared to move effortlessly to Jonathan’s surprise. Voivode walked to the other side of the door and pulled its latch as well. Jonathan knew he had tried to move those latches on his own, but he was completely unable to budge them. He had felt the incredible strength in Voivode’s handshake, but had no idea how strong the old man could be.

  Voivode pulled one of the doors inward revealing the courtyard and the uninhibited night sky overhead. There were no stars visible since, as Voivode had noted before, clouds had come in, and there was a notable chill in the air to indicate the changing of the weather. He also realized it was ominously dark, and with the clouds hiding the moon, the outer gate was nearly impossible to see. Part of Harker’s resolve began to melt as Voivode walked across the courtyard, but Harker steeled himself, determined to take this opportunity.

  Voivode reached the gate and touched the latch, but before he moved it, a wolf howled, breaking the mountain’s silence. Harker remembered the pack that had attacked the woman, and his approach faltered as Voivode looked at him. He could not see the old man’s expression, but he was certain this sudden onset of wild animal activity was caused by him. Jonathan knew if he walked out of that gate right now, he would die.

  He backed away from the gate, and Voivode never made a move to open it. Harker retreated to the castle, and without a glance behind him, he walked up the stairs to his room and closed the door. He cursed his cowardice, but also felt he had a better chance of escape if he finished his work on the window. The wall was treacherous, but if he were to leave without Voivode’s knowledge, he would not be set upon by wild animals who had been called by their master.

  Or so he believed.

  * * * * * * * * * *

  Voivode had heard the sound of the wolves and wondered what was going on. He had also watched Harker, after his demand to leave in the middle of the night, turn around and walk back inside without a word. Voivode was grateful, as he had been stalling the best he could in the hopes that David would return either to try to talk Harker out of this madness or to escort him to a coach. In the end, he did not need to do anything.

  He walked across the courtyard knowing this would be one of the last times he would do it. He looked around at the old castle where he had spent more time than some countries existed, and he knew he would miss the old place terribly. It was falling apart and set upon by murderous creatures, but it was still his home.

  As he slowly shuffled back to the castle, David entered through the outer gate. Voivode turned to him and saw surprise marked on his face.

  “What’s going on?” David asked.

  “Our Mr. Harker wanted to leave,” Voivode said, “and I was inclined to let him.”

  “Why?”

  “He believes he is in some kind of mortal danger here, and that we were somehow the cause of it. He believed he was safer out there than he was in the castle.”

  “That doesn’t make it true.”

  “No, but when a man makes up his mind, he is inclined to follow the thought through regardless of any reason one might present,” Voivode noted, looking at David while recalling what David had said of his own life. David sighed and nodded. “I was hoping you would show up to stop him.”

  “I’m afraid I was detained while helping one of the locals,” David said.

  “What happened?”

  David explained the situation to Voivode from the attack on the Southern side of the castle near Harker’s window and escorting the woman down the mountain. Voivode nodded thoughtfully.

  “I wonder if his witnessing that incident led to this manic request,” Voivode suggested.

  “It’s entirely possible,” David said. “I don’t know if he saw me jump in, but if he only saw the attack of the woman, then he might believe that she was killed, and her child taken by someone or something here.”

  “Most likely me then,” Voivode noted, realizing that if Harker believed he was a kidnapper and murderer, that would certainly strengthen his resolve to leave. He sighed. “What are these people going to do when we leave? Karian will be most unhappy, and I’m sure he’ll take out his anger on them.”

  “I don’t think he will,” David said. “He will be angry, to be sure, but I cannot see him drawing unnecessary attention to himself by killing the villagers. The Mutations are acting out now to draw my attention, but once we escape, he will simply think of a way to find us.”

  “Are the preparations complete?” Voivode asked to change the subject to something else as he walked back inside the castle.

  “We are ready,” David said confidently as they shut the main door and they each pushed a latch closed.

  “David,” Voivode began. He was not sure how to breach this topic, but he felt it had to be discussed. “Do you wish to follow me to England?”

  “Why do you ask?” David asked.

  “You have been good to me here, and I know part of your desire to remain was your consideration of the Mutations. You had always looked out for any kind of trouble for both me and the people of this area, but London is different. It is peaceful. There are no Mutations there. No one knows of me. I will simply be an old man. A foreigner who bought a house and lives in seclusion. I will have no need of a protector.”

  “This is true,” David nodded, “which is why we chose London to begin with. After my separation from the Rastem, I had nothing. You gave me a purpose. Something to live for. I promised I would remain with you, and I will hold to that promise. I will see you through to London or wherever your life might take you.”

  “I would welcome your company, David,” Voivode said with a smile. “I just did not wish to presume your presence.”

  “You may take me for granted, my friend,” David assured.

  “Then I a
m honored to accept your service through the end of my days, which, I would predict, will not be much longer,” Voivode admitted as they reached his room. “I am exhausted, and have outlived any life I should have had. I blissfully look forward to death as a long awaited rest.”

  “While I cannot look upon that day with the same level of anticipation,” David said, “I promise to see you through the end of this life until you pass to the next.”

  “I could not ask for more,” Voivode said.

  * * * * * * * * * *

  Harker frantically chipped away at the mortar around the bars on his window. He had come far in the days since he had stolen the table knife and began his slow work. He could see the borders of the bars, and he knew it would not take much more before the bars finally came loose, and he could plan his final escape.

  He could see the bottom of the bar assembly was all together as a single piece, but he had loosened it. He took hold of the bars and shook them violently, desperately trying to break the mortar loose along the top. He put all his weight behind them and pushed against them feeling the bottom part push out beyond the wall. He heard the mortar crack, and pieces of it rained down on his head, but he did not let up.

  Suddenly, the bars gave way and fell to the ground far below. Harker caught himself before he followed them down and stared down the sheer wall directly under his window. He had done it.

  He studied the wall more carefully now that he could easily climb out the window. The brick work was craggy, and he felt the spacing and roughness of it would allow him to drop himself little by little down to the ground. There was hope for this plan, but he did not want to go in the dark.

  He closed the shutters and lay down on his bed to rest as he would need as much energy as he could muster to make the climb and subsequent escape down the mountain. He would have to leave his bags, but it was a small price to pay for survival.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Karian had followed David to Arefu on his most recent trip to try to sort out what he was up to, and after some searching, he came upon the storage area where David had brought a large number of crates that he and Voivode were using to send their possessions to wherever it was they hoped to move. He looked over the crates to find out if they contained any information as to their destination, but they all only contained a number scratched into their sides, which no doubt corresponded to instructions their contact in the town possessed. Unfortunately, without that piece of information, Karian could determine nothing.