The Vampire's Heart (21 page)

“
True, and you will be there to make sure. Understand.”

That wasn’t a question. Without waiting for a sarcastic answer, I lead Summer into the house, past the cold and dead furnace.

Once we are inside and I have replaced the hallway floor, I force the front door back into its rightful position, shutting the world out. Summer immediately shoves me against the door and begins to kiss me, her tongue massaging mine, flicking across my pointed teeth. She makes the magic flow instantly.

I lift her into my arms and carry her deeper into the house, searching for the blacksmith’s bed.

19 days until the birth of a god

The 14
^th
day of Spring-Fall, 1538

It is just past wanemoon, and naturally it is dark outside. The sky is clouded still from the vampires’ weather casting from earlier, and the glow of the full moon can barely be seen through the thick bank in this first hour of the day.

Summer and I leave the dead man’s house. We’ve redressed ourselves with the clothing found within. Now I’m sporting a waxed frock coat, leather jerkin, black trousers and boots to match. I’m also wearing a black waxed rain hat, wide brimmed to keep water from the blacksmith’s face.

Summer now dons a long gown, probably worn by the blacksmith’s wife on very special occasions. It isn’t tailored to fit Summer and so her bosom is tightly packed in. My claws had let the stitching out at the sides in order to give her more breathing room. The dress is black and deep red, but has a multi-layered skirt, keeping her warm. Around her shoulders she has a bright red shawl, and in her long curly brown hair she has tied a thick deep red ribbon.

Sczeran turns to look at us as we leave the house, his frustration at being posted as guard evident in his stance and face. He marches over to us as we walk slowly back to the main street, avoiding the stacks of ore and timber.

“
Muzbeth, what are your wishes?” he asks when we reach him.

“
Have all the survivors been added to our number?”

“
Yes my ‘Karalis. I have had a team cast. We found no living humans within the city. None,” he says, looking poignantly at Summer. Is he summing her up?

“
Have you something to say Sczeran?”

“
No my Lord, it is just that you led me to believe that... my ‘Lady’ was human. I was merely trying to figure out what species she is. My apologies.”

“
Sczeran, she is human. What makes you think otherwise?” I ask.

“
The casting team, my ‘Karalis, they found no living humans. None at all,” he explains.

“
Then there was a mistake. Search the city once more; make sure none are left alive. Quickly!”

With that Sczeran sprints off into the tree line to organise a second search. I turn to Summer.

“
I wonder what that was all about.”

“
Probably just mere incompetence,” Summer says with a smile. “Listen, honey, I’ve been thinking…” She pauses, evidently unsure as to whether or not she really wants to tell me. I want her to.

“
Go on, I’m intrigued,” I encourage.

“
What would you say to Godhood? I mean proper Godhood, not just being a Lys-Karalis. I’m talking servants, unlimited power, and me by your side forever and all eternity.”

Where did that come from? Not that I wouldn’t like the power. I was born to it, if that’s the right word.

“
I’ll admit that it would be an interesting scenario.”

“
Think on it, sweet, but in the meantime I have some suggestions for our immediate future.”

I smile, indicating she should keep talking.

***

I cast my magic again and the flames lick out from my hands, though they do not cause me any pain. My magic keeps the flames from burning me.

I launch the small globes of fire sat at my outfacing palms at a building which is wedged in between the branches of two trees. They streak across the roofs and set the tree-house alight.

There is a lot of smoke and steam due to everything being so wet, but as I do not need to breathe that is not a problem. Summer however found the heat and cloying smoke too much and headed north toward the edge of the woods. We’ll meet her there shortly, once our job here is complete. More fire flashes past me, leaping from the hands of the vampires around me.

The city is burning violently and beautifully. It will be visible from miles away; a vast column of black smoke rising into the night sky, illuminated from beneath by the flickering red light of flame. I know that people will soon be coming. The sight reminds me of the village we burned back on the Cracked Isles.

The city-folk we turned haven’t risen yet, so I’ve sent a party of ten to go and meet Summer, taking the corpses with them.

There are vampires up in the trees, ripping the buildings down, they crash to the floor every few moments or so, shaking the ground beneath my feet.

Less than a mid-hour later and not a single building still stands. All have been ripped asunder by flame and vampire. The heat emanating from the city is astounding, though unfortunately I lost one of the climbing vampires to it. She managed to drop down into the town and got cut off by the fast spreading flame. She died quickly as her dead body caught fire. Her demon would have been delivered back to Hell by the flames. Now there is one less able body to do my bidding, and that is all that bothers me.

So far I’ve managed to keep the fire from spreading to the woods that surround the erstwhile city.

‘
Erstwhile’. I think I learned that word from Kellum. I wonder if he found the other Lys-Karalis. I wonder how he and Summer knew each other.

But now is the time to put an end to the raging inferno before me. I call the twenty or so remaining vampires to my side, while moving away from the city and into the relative protection of the northern tree front.

We all link hands in a large circle, innately knowing how to generate a Link-Shell; the demons within us all working in tandem. I feel the power of twenty-three demons, not including my own, flow into me. The power now welling within me is tangible, and it takes me less than instant to cast, as so much power is at my disposal. Suddenly a crack of lightning splits the sky, followed almost immediately by the deep growl of thunder.

As suddenly as the storm appears it begins to pour down with rain. ‘Torrential’ is the best way to describe it. The streams around here will swell and break their tiny banks. The trees will grow faster, from both the excess of magic and water. These woods will thrive now, no longer hindered by the city that would have been constantly drawing from it.

I return to my previous location within the city to make sure the fires are dying out. The monsoon-like rains are dousing everything thoroughly. Satisfied that the fire will die out soon, I lead the remaining vampires north, to the meeting place where I will find Summer. The ground is wet and muddy already, but my heightened senses stop me slipping and falling. I do not run, though I do wish to get to Summer more hastily, so I up the pace slightly, weaving a way through the trees and mud and sludge, forging my way to the northern-most trees.

With just a few miles left to cover, a smell reaches my nostrils. It is something on the air that sets my naturally still heart racing with magic; it is like the smell of roses, of sweet wine, or of fresh blood. I smell Summer, my love.

I up the increase our speed again, knowing that the vampires following me will be able to keep up. Soon the canopy above my head begins to lighten, despite night having fallen. The lightening effect is the work of the beam of light that shines on the Heart directly from the Lighthouse. I know I’ll soon be out of the woods and into the warm arms of my woman.

Eventually I break from the trees and glance about, my eyes locking on Summer straight away. I rush over to her and kiss her passionately; a long lingering kiss. We’ve only been apart for just over an hour and a mid-, but that time was too long. I pull away, hug her and look into her sparkling green eyes. I can see that she loves me too.

I turn to look at the fifty or so vampires around us. Those that got turned in Tomam have awoken and are now looking to the person with the most power for direction. I notice that there are two mangled corpses on the floor, once vampires no doubt. I look to Summer for the answer. She obliges.

“
They were the freshly turned, they wanted living blood, and as the only living thing here, and looking fairly fragile and defenceless as I do, they attacked. I killed two before the rest of them figured out that it was not a good idea to attack me.”

“
You make me so proud, love,” I say with what I hope is a warm smile.

I turn to the vampires that are arrayed before us, they are not arranged in any kind of order. I divide the group into roughly two halves, and pick out two leaders for them.

“
Everyone in the left group, you will be under the command of Zinne, everyone in the right, Sczeran will command you. Now Zinne, Sczeran, a word.”

Though I do not necessarily trust Sczeran, he is the most powerful vampire here. If I did not make him the leader of one of the groups he’d just kill his way to the top, and then probably take the group to do whatever he wanted.

We lead the two vampires away from the crowd, so that Summer and I can outline our plans.

“
Why have we been split?” Sczeran asks before we have even stopped to talk properly. There is a long pause while I wait for him to finish his sentence; soon enough he realises, adding “my Lord and Lady?”

“
Because, if you’d have some damn patience you’d know that you’re to head up to Scathack. I want you, Sczeran, to go via Enlil; cause some chaos there and draw as much Calcian attention as you can. Then, and only then, are you to head across the Gatheck Range to take Scathack. There you will set up the beginnings of my new Vampiric Empire. The reason for the split is to force Calcian forces to split also. They’ll split into more than two groups however, weakening their defence. Do you understand?”

I pose my last question as if talking to an infant. Sczeran does not answer, though both vampires nod. I cannot help but notice that Sczeran does not look happy, and I cannot help but feel endeared by that.

“
Now, go, you only have about an hour until dawn, and I don’t want my little soldiers to get sunburn.”

With that, both the vampires nod once again and turn to their respective groups, walking towards them to redistribute the orders.

Summer smiles and slips her hand into mine.

- Zinne -

I can’t help but smile as I return to my group of vampires.

This is fantastic! He does not know the power he holds over us. I just can’t believe he never gave me an order! Not that I’m stupid enough to disobey him; I certainly don’t want a Lys-Karalis as an enemy. But still, this gives me license to do as I please. Though I’ll bet that Sczeran is pretty pissed off; I still can’t believe that he was the only one to get orders from the Lys-Karalis; binding him to do Muzbeth’s bidding.

Fuck Enlil, that sounds a little too dangerous for my liking; I think I’ll take my charges up to Nuima, then further north to the coast, follow that around until we’ve just got to drop south a bit into Scathack. That’ll be far easier than going through the mountains.

Oh, the fun I could have with twenty five vampires at my disposal.

I reach the vampires whom I am to command; the majority are men, though most of the newly turned are female. I think it is time to address my troops.

“
Vampires, I call to you. I am Zinne, many of you know this already, but for those of you that have recently joined our calling, welcome. I will be commanding you. I realise that some of you have never fed before, and that you are hungry. We will find a village on our travels north and we will school you in the way of the vampire. But now, we move. Follow the North Point; it will guide us to our destination.”

And with that my group begins to head north, with surprisingly little disgruntlement. When we’re out of sight we’ll veer off west a little, bringing us into line with Nuima. We’ll have fun there, but first things first; we need to find food and shelter. We’ve only got an hour before the death of us all will rise once more.

- Muzbeth -

Summer and I turn and walk away, hand in hand, long before Sczeran and his men have left for Enlil. Zinne left practically straight away, evidently wanting to get underway as soon as possible.

We are heading toward that beacon that calls to me so; the Lighthouse. There we will strike a severe blow against the Calcians, allowing us one step closer to our real Godhood.

One day the woman I love and I will rule over all of Gatheck together, but before we can do that we have several fairly large obstacles to overcome. The first being the Calcians, the second being the forging of an empire and a basis of worship, and the third being the gods themselves. In order to set ourselves up as gods we’ll need to get rid of them. And for some reason I have a little feeling that suggests that that could be quite difficult. Quite difficult, indeed.

The Thirteenth Chapter