Blood Bride (Aarabassa World) (15 page)

Lady Vatara shrieked with glee as she observed the silhouettes of the flying creatures returning, in the distance. Quite gently, they dropped their captured passenger onto the ground in the middle of the waiting circle of vamplins.

A gift for you my Lady,
the Emperor spoke in her mind.
Your loyalty entitles you to have the first drink. The Changeling’s blood will enhance your powers in the Lightlands and you will thirst for more of the delicious human blood.

Heather lay on the ice-cold floor. In a semi conscious state, she lifted her head. Surrounded by vamplin males she wondered if she was dreaming. A groan rumbled in her dried throat, as reality became clear. The vamplins approached her, but not to offer their help. She felt a sharp pain in her throat as they pressed a pointed blade into her pumping artery. She felt the warm wet liquid of her blood oozing over her breasts. A female vamplin towered over her and bent to take the vessel that contained her warm blood.

‘I toast your coupling with my brother dear Changeling. Pity you will not live to see the child he so wishes to produce from your womb.’ The female vamplin smiled but her eyes looked at Heather greedily. ‘The Emperor wishes you alive. I, have a need to show the Emperor he can’t always have his own way. You are the answer to my problems.’

Heather could hear her own pulse racing in her ears. Lady Vatara drank of her blood. Other vamplins then took their turns to drink the Changeling’s rich blood, Heather sank slowly into oblivion. Her fingers tingled, her toes numbed, she neither felt warm or cold, just a dull throbbing sensation crept around her body until she was without sensation at all. 

The rebel vamplins had succeeded; they had fused their blood with that of the Changeling. They flew away on their bascas to celebrate a new future. The Changeling lay alone, dying. They cared not if she survived, they were the new generation of vamplins.

Amos could feel the humming of a mighty force from the myeaz army that now surrounded the quarry. Sensing the danger from the hidden depths of their position, they had quickly come to aid Quazat.

Amos spoke to Quazat, unsure of what he was witnessing. ‘They do know that I’m on your side don’t they?’

‘You no danger Prince,’ Quazat assured him.

The clicking of myeaz communication echoed around the sandstone walls of the quarry.

‘Giant still grow,’ Quazat watched as the slowly awakening Vellar continued to expand in size. ‘Ambush now while weak, Quazat tried to advise. ‘We kill beast.’

‘No Quazat, he imposes no danger to us if Morte Bielz does not control him. Can we not capture him and use his strengths against the monshaads?’

‘You know control of this beast?’

‘Nope, but I think we should give it a try. He is young and vulnerable, surely we can influence his thinking just as you would any child of any race?’

‘Your logic strange. My logic better, kill this creature who threat to my people,’ Quazat struggled with his friend’s strange beliefs.

‘I know Quazat but I like to believe that there is good in all mortals until they are influenced by others.’ Amos hoped to gain this creature as an ally rather than an enemy. ‘Can your army just try stop him from leaving?’

‘I tell them your orders.’

Instantly the myeaz began to weave ropes, creating a roof over the quarry. It was an amazing scene of hundreds of myeaz busily working together without any particular individual giving orders. Only one breed of myeaz had the ability to weave the silk but the efficiency amongst all the myeaz to bind the silk into a strong rope, was done with silence and speed.

Vellar slowly became more conscious of his surroundings, concentrating all his efforts in listening to the voice that talked to him, in his head. He tried to stand up but something stopped him from raising his bulk from the ground. Bumping the back of his head on a roof of taught ropes, he exhaled his breath and with a loud roar he released a deadly fire that burnt through the intricately weaved ropes. The myeaz reacted quickly but they did not flee, they marched up the ropes to create a weight over Vellar so he could not open his wings under the blanket of antoids.

Amos felt a dreaded fear in the pit of his stomach. This was his fault. This was the inevitable consequence of his unreasonable request not to kill the Fire Giant. He wanted desperately to save all the antoids who had put themselves at risk. Turning to confront his mistake, he frantically shouted orders at the myeaz to abandon their stance, but it was too late.  Vellar released more of his deadly fire upon the restricted bonds that held him.  The myeaz trying to imprison him, were fatefully trapped. Vellar’s nostrils enlarged and he released poisonous gasses through his nose. A deadly poppy red cloud drifted down, landing on the brave warriors who had tried so hard to imprison him. Their armoured bodies melted, painfully ending their efforts as limbs and shells fell apart and shriveled. Even as they faced death, they cared not for their own lives. A high-pitched clicking sound, given out as a warning to their fellow brothers, was all that could be heard as these poor creatures dissolved into piles of ash. 

‘I’m sorry Quazat,’ he pleaded quietly to his friend. ‘I don’t know this enemy. I don’t yet know his strengths.’

Amos could only stand and witness the terrible massacre, but as he watched he rallied his thoughts on how to stop Vellar escaping, and save what was left of the antoid army. 

‘We can’t let him take off into flight,’ Amos said.

The tiring Fire Giant shook off the fallen ash from his body and slowly tried to stand upright. His wings unfurled, readying himself for flight. As quickly as he tried to stand in the grounds of the quarry, the brave myeaz continued to crawl over the surface of his body from head to toe, his eyes could not see.

Vellar panicked at the sheer weight of these damnable creatures. He was ready to succumb.

Fear not my child,
the voice in his mind comforted him. 

He could not understand why the shiny black creatures wanted to smother him.  Confused, he lashed out with his arms but the creatures stuck to him all the more. They did not harm him, not yet. 

Open your wings and trust me Vellar,
the soothing voice spoke.
You cannot see but I will be your guide. You can shake off those beasts once you are in flight. You must fly, my child, fly and all will be well.

Vellar felt soothed by these assuring words. With no real sense of direction, he put his faith in his Master. Unfurling huge wings of toughened skin, he beat them, creating a wind that knocked Amos to the ground and sending the myeaz warriors into heaps as they fell from the giant’s upright body. At last, he could raise himself to rally his strength for flight.

‘He’s going to fly,’ Amos shouted. ‘Call off your armiis, or those without wings will perish.’

There was not much time for the clinging myeaz to escape but those that relaxed their mighty grip began to drop from the giant’s body as he grew in size.

‘Come on Quazat,’ Amos jumped upon his friend’s back. ‘Let’s follow him.’

‘I no wings.’

‘I thought all myeaz had wings.’

‘No, I not Flyer. I protect High Queen hive. I not need wings.’

Amos looked helplessly up to the skies watching the fleeing Fire Giant become a small dot in the distance.

‘There he goes Quazat. Off into the big world to grow up even more.’

‘Bigger problem. My Queen send word. Listards attack many hive. Armies must return, protect hives.’

‘Yes, yes. Tell them to go Quazat. I too must return to my homeland. Can you tell your Queen to send a myeaz leader to Beldroth. It is there that the Lightlands Council gathers to defeat this new enemy of our world.’

‘Queen know of this. She agree.’

‘Good, good. Then all that is left is to say our goodbyes.’

‘Why we do that?’

‘Because you must go to your hive and protect your people.’

‘I go with Prince. I the one represent myeaz.’

‘You old sneak, you kept that quiet,’ the Prince looked pleased. ‘Well, come on then, let’s get going or we’ll be too late. This war will be over and done with and I’ll never have seen battle.’

‘Something I have to say, Prince,’ Quazat bowed his head close to the ground. ‘News you not like.’

‘My friend, any news is better than none.  Come on, spit it out.’

‘Your Father.’ Quazat seemed choked for words.

‘My Father, yes, has he rescued Raphael? Has he sent me instructions?

‘No he cannot. He pass from life.’

‘Pass where.  I don’t understa…  You mean he’s dead?’

‘My Queen tell me this. You now King. She say me protect you. Return you home.’

Amos could not think properly, his mind was a blank sheet with no thoughts imprinted upon its empty page. All around activity hummed as the myeaz warriors marched away. In his semi-stunned state, his head was silent. He could see his myeaz friend but he could not register the reality around him. His Father, his role model, his leader, gone. He was alone. Who would advise him now. Who would he go to in times of need. No mother, no Father, alone.

‘King Amos,’ a metallic voice interrupted his private meditation. ‘King, we go.’

‘What?’ He blinked and the world came into focus. ‘Yes Quazat. I’m ready to return home.’

‘We not have mothers, fathers. We have Queen, Commanders. We protect hives and young ones. I not help very well, you with this. I feel same if my hive perish. I at your side King Amos.’

‘Thanks Quazat.’ Amos stroked the shiny face of the myeaz, carefully avoiding the razor sharp  jaws. It wasn’t often he got this close to a myeaz soldier, but in his heart this was his friend and he needed him now.

‘I loved my father, deeply. I would’ve liked to have said goodbye, but clearly that can’t happen now. I need to find my brothers and bring the human Royal family close together again.’

‘This, King Amos, we can do. My Queen send best flyers.  Take us over waters.’

Amos turned to see the huge flying myeaz that dwarfed his companion.

‘You never mentioned how big your Flyers are,’ he said in surprise.

‘You afraid? Human King.’

‘I worry only for your passage my friend. With a body like yours I can’t imagine how you will fly on a Flyer?’

‘Strange,’ Quazat retorted, ‘I think same of you, my friend.’

In harmony they laughed. A myeaz does not normally possess a sense of humour but this strange bond was forged; myeaz warrior, deadly in combat, and human King, deadly in stamina.  Amos had a good and loyal commander at his side. King Amos was of the true lineage, he had the makings of a perfect ruler and he would love and protect his people and his land, until death. He would also honour his neighbours.

It was surely time to go home.

Vellar was tiring on this, his maiden flight. Below him, the vast oceans looked large and lonely.  He needed to land and rest his wings but he feared to tread upon the moving liquid below him.

No, my child, you are right, you cannot rest upon the waters. They are the deep oceans and you are not ready for them. You must fly until you see land. Then you can rest before you continue on, to be by my side. I will watch over you, my child.
The familiar voice faded and Vellar heeded the warning of not yet landing.

Keen sight was not one of his good features but on the far horizon, he had spotted a dark shape. He sensed a calling and changed his direction towards the silhouette. Whilst the heat of the sun invigorated him, his body still felt weary from his awakening. He needed to feed. The dark profile was fast becoming clearer, it was land. This must be a place to rest, for he could go no further. He quickened his pace, keen to arrive at the resting place and then slowly lowered his flight and descended upon the small piece of land.

He could see shiny black rocks on the edges that took the brunt of the waters rising in an attempt to swallow up this tiny place. Behind the rocks luscious green terrain managed somehow to exist in the midst of the oceans. He cared not for the pretty landscape. His stomach ached. He longed to feed. He must find sustenance that would maintain his strength. Yet he was but a child. What must he feed upon? What would fulfill his needs? He knew not what he desired.

His instincts afforded him to circle the island to be sure no dangers lurked. He grew suspicious of the waves that crashed into the rocks, perhaps this strange substance was poisonous and would melt his very being. His Master had called it ‘water’ and told him not to rest upon it, so he must avoid it. Frantically he glided further inland, his mind still filled with the horror of the hideous creatures that had tried to smother him. If his Master had not ordered him to fly, he would have forever been in their grasp. His mind was in turmoil with the disturbing memories but exhaustion drove him on. With every effort, he attempted a landing on the inviting soft green carpet that was laid out before him. His feet thudded as he landed on a soft bedding of leaves. He could smell the strange tang of salt in the air that swirled around his nostrils as he stayed alert for danger. Bright yellow fruits hung in trees that were as long as he was tall. He listened to the swishing of the water but he felt safe from its touch. His ears picked up at another sound that stirred his emotions, he must seek this out, it was so very comforting.

Turning aching eyes towards the soothing sound, he could see a small creature perching on a rock, watching the strange water splashing. The sound was beautiful, enchanting. He must have this creature for his very own. It turned to look at him but it did not flee.

‘Oh, who are you?’ It asked of him, and he understood its language. ‘I have never before met with such a large land creature.’ 

He forgot his hunger and approached the creature gently, trying not to trample the fresh smelling greenery surrounding them both. He attempted to speak for the first time since his awakening.

‘I am Vellar,’ he murmured groggily but deeply, unsure if any sound would come forth. ‘I fly to find my Master.’

‘Well Vellar, you’ve chosen the nicest spot in all of the oceans to rest upon. I am pleased for some company. I come from the Royal Sea City and my Father will be missing me so very much.’

‘What is a city?’ Vellar knew so little, he was aware that his question sounded odd.

‘It’s a place where my people dwell,’ the creature still showed no fear of his presence. ‘I wonder what manner of creature you are and where you come from. You are quite large like the whales but I have never before seen the likes of you upon the lands. You look a bit like a human, but they are much smaller. Yet you seem to be also a dragon, now they are big. What are you, exactly?’

‘I do not know. What is human and what is a dragon?’

A strange sound emanated from the little creature. It did not sing but seemed to snort oddly from its face.

‘Why do you make this noise? He asked, feeling a little offended as his emotions stirred in confusion.

‘I am laughing, Vellar. You don’t seem to know very much do you? I simply must know what manner of creature you are.’

‘Will you do that sound that you were doing when I found you? I liked it.’

‘Sing, you mean. Of course I will sing but why made you land here’

‘I am tired and my Master tells me I need to rest and feed.’

‘Oh I see,’ she tried to understand but her mind raced ahead in her excitement of meeting such a strange beast. ‘I know a little sea magic that will help you, but don’t tell my Father. Just because he is a Prince he thinks he knows everything.’

‘What is sea magic?’

‘I can sing you a melody that is a sea spell. Because I am a sea Princess I can weave this magic.’

The giant smoothed the greenery carefully so as not to disturb it too badly. He settled himself next to the little creature, minding that he did not crush her. Then he listened to the soothing noises again. Only this time the words made him feel strong. This was just what he needed. The noise ended and he suddenly felt weak again.

‘Little creature, you must not stop, do it again,’ he demanded boisterously.

‘Instead of a spell of healing I will do a spell of enchantment,’ the creature had sensed his unease. ‘This should make you feel happier, so you will not be so forceful and grumpy.’

Little did the sea creature realise that the magic was not only healing, but it was feeding the Fire Giant. This was his source of food. As the monshaads fed with souls, he fed with magic.

The little sea creature ended her lullaby and announced that it was time for her to sleep.

‘I am a huphin,’ she told him. ‘But I still don’t know what you are. I am also held here when I want to go home. My family will be heartbroken, wondering and worrying. Can you help me leave this place?’

‘No,’ Vellar roared. ‘You cannot leave me.’ Tears welled in the corner of his eyes. He did not know what it was he felt but he had to keep this little creature.

The huphin looked on in horror at his confused expression.

‘I cannot let you go. You make me feel strong.’

‘I must go, Vellar. My father will be looking for me. I could meet you again if you like.’

‘No. I found you so you are mine.’

‘I must go back to my own people just as you must travel to your Master.’

‘You can come with me,’ he realised this was the answer to his loneliness. ‘I need you and I am keeping you.’

The little huphin made another strange noise. Now her cheeks shone with a wetness and she no longer made the strange noise of laughing.

‘What noise is this you make?’ he asked of her.

‘I am sad and I am crying. You cannot keep me, I belong to the sea.’

‘No, you belong to me because I found you.’

‘You did not find me because I was not lost. I don’t belong here, I was forced to stay here. You must let me go to my home. I need my people if I am to be happy. I will be sad if you keep me.’

‘I will be sad if you go, so you are staying.’

‘Am I a prisoner?’ she asked.

‘You are mine and I am keeping you.’ Vellar could not part with this newfound comfort. ‘I will ask my Master to tell your people and then they will know that you are mine.’

The aching fear of losing her had ceased but he could not risk her sneaking away. He picked her up and placed her in a small crevice of inland rocks. As he lay to rest, he blocked the crevice with his body so she could not escape whilst he rested. She was his to keep and he would take her on his journey so he would never again feel those terrible pains of hunger.

Princess Bryley sobbed softly. This monster had betrayed her. She should never have shown him her secret that she could perform sea magic. If this magic did make him strong then she would never do it for him again. She would rather die.

Vellar awoke and readied himself to continue his journey now that he felt stronger with sleep and nourishment. The voice in his head encouraged him to move on. He scooped up his new prize, a sleeping little creature, and took flight heading towards the vast lands that sat on the very edges of the oceans; then onwards to the mid-mountains; then onwards to the Magic Wall. All of this he knew, as if it was written upon his mind. His Master directed him. As he flew he cared not for the land or sea below, he did not see or hear. With his precious bundle he just flew. His strength renewed he would not stop until he reached the mid-mountains. His Master was overjoyed when he told him of his prize. Soon he would be home.

A little huphin Princess awoke and wept. She missed her home, achingly. When would she ever see her family again?