Apotheosis of the Immortal (23 page)

Chapter 47

“Why do you
use those swords?” Hassan asked as he thrust his towards Elijah’s chest. Elijah twisted his torso to the right and stepped forward barely in time to escape a serious blow. Elijah grabbed Hassan’s outstretched forearm as Hassan swung the sword in his other hand at Elijah’s calf.

Elijah lifted his knee to avoid the blow. He leapt into the air and forced his fist, clenched tightly around the hilt of his sword, downwards as he fell, to strike Hassan in the face. Hassan evaded his punch, and Elijah’s arm shot over Hassan’s shoulder. Elijah dropped the sword in that hand and grabbed Hassan’s shirt. Pulling him upward and over his shoulder, Elijah flipped him over his back. Hassan landed on his feet and smiled as he kicked Elijah in the back. Elijah grabbed the sword he had dropped and rolled over his shoulder onto his feet, quickly turning to face Hassan.

“Why do you now use two swords? Where is your dagger?” Elijah asked as Hassan stepped forward and sliced at Elijah’s left knee with the sword in his right hand. Elijah lifted his leg over the sword and stepped backwards. Hassan sliced with his other hand at Elijah’s right leg and Elijah escaped in the same way, once again stepping backwards.

Hassan’s momentum was building as he moved forward, and he once again thrust his blade at Elijah’s chest. This time Elijah rolled around his extended arm and elbowed Hassan in the back of the head, causing him to stumble forward and fall to the ground.

As Hassan rolled forward, he pulled his dagger from the small of his back and flung it at Elijah. Elijah dodged to the left, but hissed in pain when the blade grazed the side of his face and cut through his ear before planting itself in the tree just behind his head. Elijah grinned and laughed as Hassan grabbed his sword and pushed himself from the ground.

“I see you didn’t give the dagger up altogether.” Elijah wiped the blood that had spilled from his already-healed wound.

“Never,” Hassan growled. Noticing the change in his voice, Elijah quickly looked at his face, which was now transformed. Hassan’s eyes looked bloodshot and his cheekbones seemed to swell, and Elijah could see pulsing veins begin to rise around the corners of his eyes. Hassan leapt forward, swinging the sword in his left hand at Elijah’s neck. Elijah leaned back in barely enough time to keep his head. Hassan was suddenly much faster; his speed was incredible. He pulled back his sword and then thrust it at Elijah’s gut. Elijah knocked the sword to his right and Hassan twisted his arm, slicing at Elijah’s leg as he pulled his sword back.

When he noticed the cuts on the outer side of the calf muscle in his right leg, Elijah momentarily questioned his decision to carry single-edged blades. Hassan sliced again, this time with the sword in his left hand. Elijah managed to get his leg above the sword, but was now off balance. When Hassan stepped forward and sliced again with the sword in his right hand, Elijah couldn’t step back fast enough. Hassan’s sword sliced at his heel; then, pulling his sword back and up, he jerked Elijah’s foot out from under him and Elijah fell to his back.

“Ha!” Hassan shouted, as he pressed the point of the sword in his right hand against Elijah’s chest.

Elijah knocked the sword away and he sprang to his feet. He quickly looked down as his eye sockets filled with heat. The heat burned through his eyes and then moved throughout his muscles. His hair hung over his face, blocking it from Hassan’s view. He opened his mouth wide and then slammed his teeth together to ease the aching in his bones. Then Elijah raised his head, his hair fell back from his face, and he immediately saw confusion in Hassan’s expression.

Hassan lifted his swords and walked towards him. The two men stood face to face for a moment, and then Hassan stepped forward, slicing at Elijah’s chest with the sword in his right hand. Hassan now seemed to be moving in slow motion as Elijah dropped his swords and rushed forward. He caught Hassan’s swinging wrist with one hand and, lifting him off the ground with the other, he slammed the big man onto his back. Hassan shook his head to regain his bearings and then stared up at Elijah.

“Your eyes are glowing,” he observed matter-of-factly.

“I know.” Elijah smiled as he sheathed his swords and offered his hand to Hassan. He pulled the big man up, and the pair sat down on the hill, looking at the huge army below them.

“What happened?”

“I think Ayda did it,” Elijah answered as he rubbed his beard.

“What did she do to you?” Hassan asked as he pulled his swords to his side.

“I don’t think she actually did anything; I think she unlocked something that was already there, lying dormant. I have been so focused on finding my father I haven’t allowed myself to feel anything but hate and anger.” His voice began to trail off. “And guilt.” He looked apologetically at Hassan, who nodded.

“I think she helped me to access an area of my soul, or my mind, that has been locked away since I was young,” he mused. “I think there is more to this…” Elijah pointed at himself, “…than I knew.” Elijah wanted to tell Hassan about Ayda and her eyes, but it seemed wrong to give away secrets that weren’t his.

“That is quite remarkable,” Hassan said as he studied Elijah’s face more closely. “I am glad you have found someone else to take care of you,” he smiled, “because I will not fight by your side at Baghdad.” Hassan leaned back and sheathed his swords.

“What do you mean? Why not?” Elijah frowned at his big friend.

“I know what they will do to the people inside. I will not be a part of that. God would not allow it.” Hassan stood up and walked to the tree behind them to retrieve the dagger he’d thrown.

“You still believe in such things after all you have seen?” Elijah’s eyes widened as they followed Hassan to the tree.

“I have been marching with you for a short time now; my only hope is to assure you are not completely overwhelmed by the darkness that surrounds you and fills your heart. I thought my presence here might somehow help you to find your way back, but you are only moving deeper into that void. You isolate yourself almost completely now.” Hassan pulled his dagger from the tree and turned toward Elijah.

“Find a way to overcome this Elijah, before it kills you.” He held Elijah’s stare for a few moments before he turned towards the forest, just east of camp. Mountains in the distance loomed above the forest, which lay on the valley floor. “Are there no good thoughts left on which to dwell, memories of a better time, better company—a woman, Ayda perhaps? Maybe she will do better than I have done to free you from your past. Women have a way of managing such things.” He hung his head momentarily and then continued on past the tree line.

“Stay until we get closer; I still need your instruction!” Elijah shouted, his eyes bright.

Hassan paused and turned to face him. “You haven’t needed my instruction for years; we both know that. You could take my head in an instant if you wished.” He moved a few steps closer.

“It’s not just that. You are all I have here, especially since Ayda won’t speak to me anymore. In fact, she has completely disappeared.” Elijah stood and walked closer to Hassan.

“You know, you have a special talent for keeping people at a distance.” Hassan smiled. “It seems I am the only one who can put up with you.” Hassan looked at Elijah, at the ground, and then back at Elijah. After almost a minute of silence, he spoke again. “I will stay just a while longer. I will see you to the end of this march, but there is something I require of you in return.” Hassan placed his hand on Elijah’s shoulder and looked him in the eye; his gaze was intense.

“Whatever I can do.” Elijah’s brow furrowed as he stared back at Hassan.

“I need you to do something for me, Elijah. It’s not going to be easy, but you must promise me that, if I stay, you will do whatever I ask of you.” Hassan’s eyes narrowed as he tapped Elijah’s chest with his finger.

“What is it?” Elijah asked.

“You’ll know soon enough. Now, do you promise?” Hassan reached out his hand towards Elijah. Elijah looked at his face for a moment longer and then at his hand; he tried to imagine what Hassan could need, what could be so terrible he couldn’t speak of it now.

“I promise.” Elijah said, as he reached out and shook his big friend’s hand. “But I must know what it is now, please.” Elijah begged.

Hassan dropped his chin and stared at the ground before looking back up at Elijah. “Very well, but remember, you have given me your solemn promise.” Hassan took a deep breath. “I need you to kill me once we reach Baghdad.” The words burst from Hassan’s lips, a blasphemy to Elijah’s sensibilities. His heart sank. He wished Hassan had asked for anything else; how could he possibly kill his only friend?

“What? No, of course not. I don’t even know if I could.” Elijah quickly pulled his hand away and turned around.

“Elijah, please. I cannot kill myself; God does not permit it, and I cannot continue living as this
thing
, not any longer than I must. Please, I don’t want to slowly starve; I don’t even know if that would kill me. You owe me this much.”

Elijah rubbed his chin vigorously as he marched back and forth in front of Hassan.
I should have realized
, he thought.
Of course he wants to die, what else could it have been?
Elijah knew Hassan didn’t want to live forever, not even if he could be human; they were too much alike in that. So be it. He would grant Hassan the best death possible.

“I promise.” He stopped and reached out his hand again. Hassan pulled him into a tight embrace.

“Thank you, Brother.”

“Elijah.” A guard called from the hillside.

“What is it?” Elijah shouted, as he wiped his eyes.

“The Khan has requested your presence.” The guard spoke as he walked closer.

“I’ll be there in just a moment.” Elijah replied. He watched the guard retreat down the hillside and then turned to Hassan. “Come with me,” he said. Hassan nodded and the pair descended from the hill and entered the camp. At the Khan’s tent the same guard ushered them in.

When they entered, Elijah noticed a bowl of fresh fruit on a side table next to the entrance. He chose a mango and split it in half before taking a bite.

“What would you have of me, my Khan?” Still chewing the mango, Elijah bowed with a smirk on his face.

“Don’t patronize me, you condescending cunt. Sit down.” He motioned to a chair across from him at the table.

Elijah complied. He cocked his head to the side and handed the mango to Hassan as he took a seat at the table. “What would you have of me?”

“We have been marching for a couple weeks now, and the blood supply is low.” The Khan pulled out his chair and sat, facing Elijah.

“How do you know that? I haven’t heard anything.” Elijah reached back and took the mango from Hassan’s hand.

“That is because you never leave your fucking tent. I told you to lead these animals, and if you can’t do it, our arrangement is over.” The Khan looked up from the table and stared at Elijah.

“What are you talking about?” Elijah broke the Khan’s stare and took another bite of the mango.

“I am talking about two of your vampires killing six of my fucking men, that’s what I am talking about.” Spittle flew from his mouth as he yelled and slammed his fist down on the table. “Five of my guards were killed trying to detain them after finding them eating one of the soldiers. If they hadn’t caused such a disturbance, they might have killed more.”

“Where are they now?” Elijah continued to eat the mango.

“They are outside, at the base of the camp. My own bodyguard had to stop them. He has them now. Will you stop chewing on that fucking mango?” the Khan exploded.

Elijah threw the mango on the ground and rose to his feet. “I will take care of it.” He turned to leave.

“Wait,” the Khan commanded. Elijah paused. “That is not our greatest problem. We need more blood,” he repeated.

Elijah turned to face him and threw up his hands. “How do you expect me to accomplish that? There are no armies out there for us to fight.”

“No, but my scouts say there is a small town not far from here. Your men could get there and back in a day’s time. I’ll have ten of my men follow on horseback with the barrels.” The Khan looked up at Elijah.

Elijah’s eyes were wide; he glanced over at Hassan, who was shaking his head.

“You can’t do this, Elijah.” Hassan grabbed Elijah’s arm as he was turning back to face the Khan.

“He can, and he will.” The Khan rose from his chair as he spoke.

“You want me to slaughter an entire town of innocent people just to feed this rabble.” Elijah stepped closer and leaned his hands on the table.

“I need you to lead a company of one hundred of your men, if you can call them that, and do what you must,” the Khan pressed.

Elijah looked again to Hassan, who narrowed his eyes and gently shook his head.

“Unless, of course, you can think of another way to feed an army of vampires,” the Khan chortled, sure of winning this battle of wills. “You do want to confront your father, do you not?”

Elijah turned back to the Khan and stared at him for a moment. “Then fall to fucking command.” The Khan shouted.