The Map, The Dagger, and The Vampyres (Fated Chronicles Book 2)

by Humphrey Quinn

  Meghan had difficulty believing that the compassionate words she was hearing were coming from Garner Sadorus. Then, as with so many things in this new life, her attitude changed as she questioned the use of the word compassionate as they still spoke of ending a child’s life.

  “Idiots have tried to harness a Projector’s power before,” barked Tanzea. “Sure enough, they’ll try again.”

  “Which we all know is a terrible mistake,” Juliska spoke. “But I agree, with all your points. We do not know the entire story. The child will suffer at their hands. And yet, its fate is predetermined. It must die.”

  “If I may,” said Garner. “We should focus on discovering more about the Striper’s plans. Who hired them, for starters.”

  “How do you propose we do such a thing?” injected Tanzea.

  “Yes, how is the real question,” agreed Juliska. “We are in unfamiliar territory. And for some unexplained reason, our magic is greatly weakened here.”

  “And diminishing more each day,” reminded Hollee.

  “Surely your visions are not, though,” said Darius.

  “No. They are fine,” lied Juliska with ease. “Unfortunately, none of them are being helpful at the moment. Besides, Darius, you know they don’t work like that.”

  “Of course, Banon. My apologies. These circumstances are complicated. I certainly do not wish to add to that complication.”

  “If I see anything of value the court will be the first to know.”

  Meghan began to understand just how important Juliska’s visions were to the safety of her people.

  Nona put a paw on her leg, comforting her.

  “I still have so much to learn, Nona.”

  “I will help you study.”

  Meghan dug in immediately, and read aloud to Nona, hoping to retain as much knowledge as possible.

  CHAPTER 27

  Sebastien Jendaya arrived home in the Northern Maine woods. Not a long journey from where he’d just been… with Meghan’s mother. Isabella. So strange that she resided in a home inside a cave about an hour away.

  He stopped in front of two ancient white pine trees. From where he stood, the thick forest continued as far as his eyes could see. However, upon stepping through the two white pines, he stepped into a different world. A bustling village nestled amongst the trees.

  This village had been his home since his parents had been banished nearly thirteen years prior, from the Svoda Island off the northern Maine shores. They were the other half. The ones who did not follow Juliska Blackwell.

  Sebastien hustled down a pathway and came to a staircase which he climbed. At the top it led to a bridge high above the ground connecting from tree to tree. He landed in front of a door but stopped himself before entering. He was oddly nervous to be home. Anxious to see his parents, but not to file his report with their leader.

  He turned the doorknob and opened the door.

  “Sebastien! You’re home!” his father, Milo, exclaimed. “Kay,” he called out while rushing to hug his son. Kay Jendaya’s small frame emerged from another room. She raced forward to hold her son close.

  “You have been gone for so long,” his mother cried.

  “Oh, don’t cry, Mom. I’m fine. Everything is going perfect,” he insisted.

  “I just worry so,” she mumbled.

  “We’re your parents, it’s what we do,” Milo reminded. “It’s nice to have you home, Son. C’mon in and sit. Rest. I’m sure you have lots to tell.”

  “Yes. Sit. Relax. I’ll make a bite to eat,” said Kay, flying into the kitchen, like somehow a home cooked meal would keep their son from leaving, ever again. An impossibility. He might be a teenager but he had an important job and was in far too deep now, to stop.

  “I’ll send a leaf to Amelia,” Milo said. “She’ll want to know you’re home.”

  Like she didn’t already, Sebastien thought. He grimaced at the idea of seeing their leader. He would have to keep most of his actions secret, most especially his visit with Meghan’s very much alive mother.

  His own mother exited the kitchen with a tall stack of sandwiches.

  “Um, wow, Mom.”

  “I have many meals to catch up on. And I’ll make something special to celebrate later.”

  “Actually, they look amazing.” Sebastien licked his lips and grabbed two. He really did miss her mom’s food. Mostly, someone else making it for him.

  “Well, we’ll have some time now. I’ll cook you all the real food you can eat,” his mother said.

  Sebastien dropped the third sandwich, looking guilty.

  “You’re not staying long? Are you?” surmised Milo.

  Sebastien’s eyes answered their question.

  “We’ll just have to make due with the time we have then,” his mother insisted, trying to sound happy. “You know how proud we are of you, right?”

  “Yeah, I know, Mom.”

  “We could not have asked for a better, more loyal son. We are so very proud of the work you’re doing.” Milo was proud, no doubt. But uncertain at times, about dragging their young son into something so volatile. A life they had agreed to many years ago when he was just an infant.

  Kay didn’t fare so well. Tears welled. “You’re still my little boy. Even though you’re nearing a man. I will never stop worrying no matter your age. But,” she sucked in, determined. “We all have our jobs to do. I only wish yours would keep you a little closer to home.”

  “Whatever your next job is, just be careful. Okay, Son?” Milo ordered.

  “Sure, Dad. Always,” he replied.

  He really wanted to burst. To shout his news that Meghan’s mother was still alive. To tell them everything he had been up to. But he bit his lip and kept quiet. They could not know. And neither could Amelia.

  He was beginning to doubt if any secret could be kept, for long.

  If they didn’t know yet, though, he just had to survive through this visit.

  After? Who the heck knew what would happen after.

  CHAPTER 28

  “Father!” said Colby, startled. “I was expecting the new teacher.”

  “Little fact I forgot to mention,” he informed his son. “I am your new teacher.”

  Colby twisted in his seat with anticipation. Lessons with his father were always the best ones. The only ones that made being in school, worth it.

  “What kind of magic are we going to learn today?” Colby asked him eagerly.

  Jurekai’s gaunt smile lifted to one corner.

  “No magic today,” he answered. He saw his son’s heart sink. “Today, my Son, I have decided it is time for you to learn where we came from. How we came to be. For as you know, we were not always the Grosvenor.”

  Colby’s sinking heart leapt. This is a story he had always wanted to hear, but his father always refused to tell. The room darkened. The walls, lighting to life, the trail of stained glass shimmering with color and movement.

  “Mother,” Fazendiin called out in greeting.

  The silhouette of his mother appeared in the stained glass.

  “Would you mind, please, to tell the story?” he addressed her kindly.

  “So it shall be, my Son,” she replied.

  The picture in the stained glass shifted as she began to speak. Beams of light emanated and danced around the room, throwing shadows.

  “In the beginning, magic flowed as naturally as breathing through all living things.”

  The scene changed to a field, with plants, trees, animals, and humans all living together in peace.

  “But as with any world,” she continued, “there were periods of conflict and war. One such war changed the landscape of the world, forever.”

  The picture of a man materialized in the stained glass, standing alongside what appeared to be a large cow-like creature.

  “The man you see here is named Babiin Balick, in his day, a known fool of a farmer. Today, he is remembered for an accidental discovery which forever changed the world of magic.”

&nb
sp; The scene in the glass turned gruesome as it showed Babiin slaughtering the cow-like animal, reaching into the dying creature’s body, extracting something.

  “The Mazuruk: a beast relative to the modern day cow. In its day, this beast was used much as it is today, for milk, meat, and clothing. One day, upon slaughtering a Mazaruk, while it was yet alive, a stone fell out of its third stomach. Babiin picked up the glass-like stone and put it in his pocket, never giving it a second thought.”

  Colby watched the stained glass intently, not wanting to miss anything. With each new part his grandmother spoke, the colors in the stained glass shifted, creating a new picture.

  “As the days passed, Babiin noticed a change. He was stronger. His magical abilities and strength, expanding. At the same time, concerns in his village arose as other peoples’ magic weakened. Nothing like this had ever occurred before. Weeks after he had taken the Mazaruk’s stone, it dawned on Babiin that his increase of power had begun after he had put the Stone in his pocket. He tested his theory by burying the Stone far away from his home. Almost instantly, the further away he got from the Stone, the more weakened he became. He dug up the Stone and just as instantly, grew stronger.”

  Colby sat on the edge of his seat. His father had only recently mentioned the subject of something called a Mazy Stone. He assumed Mazy was short for Mazuruk.

  “What Babiin did not realize, was that the increase in his power was not only aided by the stone, but that the Stone increased his power by stealing magical energy from living things, nearby, weakening other’s magic. For months, he researched and tested the Stone’s powers. The most important discovery, beyond weakening other’s magical powers, is that the magic could be transferred out of the Stone and into a living person, thus permanently making this person stronger and more powerful.”

  Stronger? More powerful? Colby glanced at his father, who was strong, and old, but now, he wondered just how old. And how powerful. It was something they had never discussed. His father’s skin was gaunt and thin. Yet his mind, sharp. Perhaps he was finally about to find out just how old his father truly was.

  “Pay attention, Colby,” his father scolded, recognizing his son’s wandering mind. He missed nothing.

  Fazediin’s mother continued her story.

  “After learning everything he could about the Stones, Babiin’s hunger intensified. Not just for more power, but for money. He realized his discovery would be worth a lot to the right buyer. Babiin also worried that the damage he had caused in his own village would be found out, so he fled. But not before slaughtering every last Mazuruk he owned, and seizing the Stones from their dying bodies.”

  The stained glass picture now morphed into a map, focusing in on a part of the map noted as Shogharne Territory. As the territory came into better view, it stopped in a village set near the edge of a vast mountain.

  “Babiin traveled to the Shogharne Territory seeking out a clan he’d heard rumor of; one that was infamous for their unending search for immortality. They were called Vetala: Energy Vampires. Their ability to extract and consume the life force from living things allowed them extended life. But not the immortality they desired, as the results were not permanent and the ability declined with age.”

  Colby’s thoughts reeled with this information. Father told me once he was descended from a Vetala clan. Does this mean I am a vampire like in the story? Or am I an immortal like my father? Or am I some kind of hybrid? My mother is just a human… from a magical bloodline, but just human…

  Colby had always wanted to know the answers to these questions; however, his father had repeatedly told him that this knowledge was something he would learn at the appropriate time. Obviously, this time was now.

  “Babiin approached the clan leader,” the story went on, “asking him what he would be willing to pay for limitless magic. This clan leader scoffed at Babiin’s claims. This leader was not aware of any such thing; his clan had been searching for hundreds of years to no avail. If there had been such a thing, they would have discovered it themselves.”

  There was a pause, Grandmother and son sharing some hushed moment.

  Fazendiin’s face remained flat and focused, his gaze ordering her to continue.

  “To prove what he said,” the woman in glass spoke, “Babiin left one Stone in the hands of the clan leader, insisting he test the Stone’s ability. Babiin told the leader where they could locate him once his claim was proven true. The leader, in return, told Babiin that if the Stone did not perform as promised, he would not step off Shogharne Territory, alive.

  “Babiin had nothing to fear. Within a day, the clan leader realized the power of Babiin’s Stone and sought him out. However, the clan leader had no intention of buying the Stones. The clan leader forced Babiin to tell him everything he knew about the Stones, or face instant death. He surrendered all knowledge without hesitation, and for this, the clan leader spared his life.”

  The stained glass morphed again, this time, unraveling a horrific scene: a bloody and terrifying massacre.

  “In the weeks that followed, the clan leader ordered the slaughter of every Mazaruk in the surrounding villages, for each single Stone had a limit of how much magical energy it could contain. Therefore, the more Stones one possessed, the stronger one could become. Thousands of Stones were collected from these beasts, and with them, the Vetala collected power. More power than they had ever imagined possible.

  “Unknowing villagers suspected nothing. The Vetala appeared as travelers, just passing through. It was at first, feared that some terrible plague was to blame, as village after village discovered their magic weakened, and one day, completely gone. The Stones left everything in their wake alive, but powerless, and magic-less.

  “This is when the Vetala clan made a disastrous error. They grew arrogant, allowing someone to discover their secret. The news spread like wildfire and soon, any village that still retained their magical powers began executing Mazuruk in hopes of defending themselves in the battle that would inevitably follow.”

  Colby had a thousand questions he wanted to shout, but his father would not approve. His eyes never left the stained glass where the pictures continued to shift and change.

  “Over the months that followed, this news spread across the magical world like a disease. At the height of this massacre, nearly every Mazaruk had been exterminated, and you had either lost your magical powers to someone possessing a Stone, or possessed enough Stones to steal other people’s powers.

  “Wars broke out all over the world, village against village, clan against clan. Those with the Stones, kept the power. The Shogharne clan possessed the largest number of these Stones.”

  She stopped for a moment as the stained glass darkened, a second later illuminating into another scene with Babiin Balick.

  “Seeing the destruction his discovery had caused, Babiin spent the remainder of his life making amends for his actions. He created a group of warriors that wandered the earth for many years, painstakingly collecting and destroying the Stones, and those who used them for harm.

  “But it was during this time that nine of the most powerful Vetala learned an awesome truth: the Mazuruk Stones could give them the immortality they had so long desired. Using their innate powers as Energy Vampires, they could combine the magical energies from a single Stone, into another, fusing them together. They did this with hundreds of Stones, until they had built a Stone large enough to contain the magical energy required for immortality.

  “Babiin Balick and his followers learned of this plan too late. They set out to stop it, but fate had determined otherwise. The nine remaining Vetala from the Shogharne Territory simply needed to touch the Stone simultaneously, and its power would be permanently fused with their own, filling their life force completely.”

  At this point, Jurekai Fazendiin’s mother stopped and looked at him as if to ask if she should continue.

  “Yes, Mother,” he told her. “If I want the truth known, I want the entire truth known.”
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  She nodded and began to speak again.

  “The Immortality Stone was hidden, its location only known by the nine to ensure that it could not be destroyed. For if it was destroyed, their immortality, and thus their lives, would end.”

  Colby breathed out in disbelief. He had known his father was immortal, but could his immortality end? Did this also mean that his father was one of the nine original immortals? He had often heard of him spoken as the original… if this were true, Colby again wanted to know how this affected his own life. Nevertheless, he waited, the story not yet finished.

  “The immortals made the choice to go into hiding, allowing the rest of the world to wage their war. Babiin Balick continued to wage his own war, which lasted long beyond his death. Eventually, after many years, his followers tracked down and destroyed the remaining Mazuruk Stones. There were unexpected casualties, however. The biggest being the near eradication of magic. The next being that the battle had lasted so many years, that new generations had been born and died, having no knowledge of magic.

  “The world was changed, magic no longer at the forefront of everyday life. As time passed, so did the knowledge of what once was. The few remaining humans that still held onto their magical powers feared for their lives as magic became myth. Which when happened upon, was reviled as an evil to be purged from the earth.

  “In order to better their odds of survival, the smaller magical clans joined forces. You will know them today as the Svoda Gypsies. Many of Babiin Balick’s follower’s descendants make up a good portion of the Gypsies. His own bloodline remains true to his cause, still today.”

  Jurekai interrupted his mother’s story at this point. “It was Babiin’s own son that cursed my mother’s soul,” he explained. “Cursed her to live without a physical body, so very, very long ago.”

  “But Father,” Colby interrupted, “with all your power and knowledge, you could not find a way to free her?”