by Jamie Ott
He set to making his pots.
When the scene changed again, it was to see Sestin sitting on the ground with a pile of pots around him. People walked by and didn't stop, nor wave.
The sun was setting. Sestin looked to be deep in thought. A voice whispered in his head, but somehow echoed in hers, too: It said, they're coming for you.
Sestin jerked his head left and right; then stood and walked in and out, and then around the house.
He sighed as if he knew it all along; that they were planning to attack him when he least expected it.
The vision changed to him having dinner around a tiny table inside the hut, with his mother and sister.
"I think they'll be coming for me," he said out loud at the dinner table. "I don't know when, but you should be prepared."
"Are you happy, now?" cried his mother, slamming her wooden spoon on the table. "Now, they're after us all."
"First, you're mad because I let them kill her husband. Now, you're mad because I interfered? Which is it, Mother?"
"It doesn't matter. I'm leaving!" his sister said. "I cannot look at these people who murdered the father of my child! I can't look at you," she said.
She stood up and left the room.
He looked at his mother and said, "You and Tatia will leave tonight, at midnight. I will stay behind; otherwise, they'll follow and kill us all. Better you go ahead. Send word that you're okay. As long as I'm here, I can make sure they don't go after you."
When the moon reached the halfway point on the west horizon, Sestin watched his mother and sister walk through the town.
They reached the end of the row of houses. At that point, Sestin quickly ran out the back of their hut, and along the rear of the row of houses. Staying in the shadows, he nearly caught up with them as they approached a long grassed-over road.
Sestin hid behind a tree and watched them walk. When they made it over the little incline, he followed them all the way down to the low lands, before turning back.
Days went by, but no one came to kill him. He'd long since abandoned making pots, which lay in a heap inside the hut, now.
He sat, once more, in front of his house and watched people walk by as if he wasn't there.
A peculiar stranger with the brightest orange hair, and eyes that appeared to have flames dancing in them, approached.
Starr recognized him instantly. He looked at her, on the side of the road that night of her battle with the Fleet, and it felt like his eyes were burning through her.
He stood and stared at Sestin, saying nothing.
"Alright, who are you?"
"I'm Vidar."
"You're eyes are strange. Are you human?"
"More or less."
"What do you want?"
"Some pots."
Sestin looked as if he hardly believed the man, but said, anyway, "How many?"
"All of them."
He looked at the strange man a moment longer, and then stood up.
Vidar pulled out a small leather bag, and jiggled it.
The next day, the man came back.
"You're back?"
"Yes, I want to thank you for the lovely pots. I've brought you something."
He pulled a couple large leather bags from under his cloak.
"I figured you could use a friend."
"So, let me ask of you, personal questions, Friend. Why did you not attempt to save your sister's husband sooner?"
"How do know about that?" he slurred slightly.
"I saw the whole thing go down."
"I didn't help sooner because I'm a coward."
"Surely, not! You fought that tiger, and you're the strongest man here. They fear you; that's the reason they haven't tried to kill you yet."
"But they will try to kill me; they're merely waiting for the right time to attack. You see, I dirtied their sacred rite. To fix it, they need to shed my blood."
"Yet you stay here when you know your life is in danger. You seem very brave, to me."
"My life is valueless," he said as he took another sip of his wine.
"You don't believe that?"
He said nothing.
"Why don't you come and stay with me for a while. I wasn't planning on bringing on a servant, as I'm quite self sufficient, and I prefer it that way, but I hate the idea of a good soul going to waste. You need a purpose in life, and I can give it you. I'll give you a good position and a nice home. I live in a lovely fortified city, not too far from here, and I'm a high ranking official. Do well, and you'll live a wonderful, purposeful life."
"I can't. I'm waiting to hear from my mother and sister."
A message from his mother came the next day.
They set out for Valhol, the next morrow.
The Hall
Chapter 5
"How big is this incline?" he breathed.
"Just to that point," Vidar said, raising his hand and pointing.
They trudged up the rocky green plain. At the very top, they stopped and looked over the lowlands. Starr realized they were on the peak of an enormous mountain.
It must have taken days to get that far.
Below, was an evergreen valley that was thousands of square miles. In the distance, nestled on the base of a mountain, she could see the tiny settlement where Sestin and his people lived.
"Why do you never get tired?" Sestin asked.
Starr's jaw dropped.
He hadn't a clue that Vidar was not human.
Although it must have been days more before the real Sestin reached Vidar's home, the scene morphed into them standing before an enormous grey brick wall: the same one from Starr's vision of Lucenzo. Only, back then, it had an enormous set of double doors.
Vidar pulled an extremely large key from out of his shirt. He unlocked the city door and, with inhuman strength, pushed it back.
Inside was exactly the same as she'd seen before. It was a completely bricked city with small alleys and tall brick buildings.
The city entrance was a large and beautiful display of green grass, koi ponds and trees. On both sides of the road, on which they walked, were stone statues and benches.
A sweet scent of honeysuckled wafted toward her. She inhaled deeply, even though she knew it was just a memory.
They walked over the little bridge she remembered from her vision: the one that went over the enormous koi pond, only the fish were smaller than they are now.
In the city square, people laundered garments and rugs. Further along, an enormous heat came from the stone shed to their left.
She looked in and saw the backs of men making swords and melting sand into glass beads.
Vidar lead Sestin down a particularly obscured alleyway. The buildings on both sides closed in tightly on them, blocking out the sun.
At the very back of the city, and along the gray wall was a castle almost as big as the one in the city's center.
Inside was a large and spacious quarters. Everything was whittled and rough cut. The chairs had itchy straw stuffed cushions with hand twined backings. In the center of the room was an enormous wooden table.
"This is my dwelling. Every morning you will bring my breakfast here. The kitchen is in the main center square; attached to the castle. If you follow the alleys diagonally through, they all lead you right back to the center of the city.
After the servants fetch their masters' breakfast, they may return and have their own. After, you will come back and start your morning chores."
They sat down and he rattled off a bunch of city laws, house rules, and expectations of his position.
Then he showed him to his quarters, which were on the East side of where his property lay.
It was a three story gray building. Inside was dark and cool. One hundred servants lived there.
"These are men like you: talented, special, handpicked to serve us."
Vidar led him to a tight little room that he would share with a roommate.
Starr recognized him, too: Fernand.
The vision skipped ahead, and morphed into a few days, later. Sestin had just walked in, and was carrying Vidar's breakfast tray.
As he set it on his desk, Vidar said, "Today, you are excused from your responsibilities. You will go to the altar room, in the town square where you will learn the history of our people. Follow the alley past the kitchens. The altar room is in the back. You will return there every day before your rest day, and after you've brought me breakfast."
The vision followed him through the cool, shadowy brick alleys to just past the kitchen in the town center. A gathering of men, including Fernand, stood by and a man by the name of Stelar invited them in.
Even back then, Fernand was flamboyant. He talked to everyone and smiled wide. When Sestin walked up, he followed him to his seat, chattering nonstop.
Stelar lectured them about who the Primordials were and how they were born of the ashes of a fire breathing dragon.
"So why are you here, if you're Lucenzo's brother?" asked Sestin on their way back to their lair.
"I'm only his half brother. I'll be subject to the same position as everyone else."
The scene morphed into a montage of Stelar teaching them about philosophy, nobility and strength; other days, they could be found outside, sword fighting, battling and learning about the land.
Naturally, Sestin was the best warrior of them all. Every move he made was attractive to Starr. She would have loved to take him on in battle.
Some days later, Sestin and some of the guys were sitting in a small grass sectional of the city, drinking wine and relaxing. They were talking of an initiation, and wondering who would be picked that year.
Sestin was listening intently, but he was momentarily distracted by a crying noise. He jerked his head and looked around for the source.
Riding past them, over the little bridge was an enormous cargo.
"Did you hear someone crying?" he asked Fernand.
"It's just the squeaky wheels of the cargo."
They returned to their quarters, and bade goodnight to each other.
The scene went dark.
Suddenly, there was a scuffle. Starr couldn't see anything because Sestin couldn't.
When the scene progressed out of the servants quarters and out under the moonlight, she saw through the tiny gaps of the cloth bag, they'd put over his head, that he was being dragged to the city's center.
It stayed dark for a few more moments. Then she heard them take steps, and open and close a door.
When they took the bag off his head, Starr saw that he faced two Primordials with the same dancing eyes.
They made him kneel on the rug, next to several others - including Fernand.
Stelar entered the room. He made a speech and then blessed them.
Over a small gold chalice, he slit his wrist and bled into the cup.
He passed the cup down the row, and they each took a drink and fell to the ground.
The scene went dark again, except for momentary glimpses of a candle lit room.
Starr couldn't help but try to break her connection with Sestin when the vision showed swirling bouts of colors.
Understandably, Sestin was having hallucinations because of the blood, but Starr didn't want to see them.
Fortunately, Sestin didn't make her watch them. He sped up his memory.
A few days later, Vidar and Sestin stood on a city bridge at night.
"I'm so proud of you, Sestin. I knew, straightaway, when I saw you that you were like no other. You're not only strong but wise. This is the most important thing. So many feeble civilizations out there, but even the strongest must die, at some point. We could only hope to pass on our culture to someone as evolved as you. Unfortunately, your transformation is not complete until you take your final test. You must drink fresh blood of a human."
Although Starr paid attention to the conversation, she was momentarily distracted by the color of his eyes, which had turned red like Ciaran's.
"I appreciate everything you've done, but I was raised to believe that murder is wrong."
"You'll not have to drink blood always, just this once. Surely, there is someone whom you think deserves to die."
But when he swore he wouldn't kill, Vidar said fine.
A couple mornings later, he showed up with bad news: his mother, sister, and her baby were dead. He told Sestin that he found them slaughtered by the men from his old settlement.
That night, they stood on the bridge once more. Vidar extended his hand; Sestin accepted.
They flew down, fast.
Starr was angered at the sight of gullible Sestin's steely, revenge seeking face. She felt herself frown as she watched him walk into every single hut and killed all the women, babies and all.
Actions Due
Chapter 6
Starr opened her eyes and stood up.
She walked to the wall, but it shut, suddenly. Starr couldn't open it herself.
'Let me out!'
'SIT DOWN!'
'I WILL NOT!'
Starr tried pyrokinesis to break down the wall, when suddenly she was dragged back to her spot, and forced to sit down.
'I WILL not tell you again.'
'I've upheld my end of the deal, and now you'll uphold up yours.'
'You've upheld nothing! I wanted to know where Valhol is, not your sordid life story.'
'You've seen and smelled it, Valhol, and now you can go there. Listen to your inner demon-your inner animal.'
Vampires, like animals, had a sixth sense that allowed them to know and track places.
'Great, now let me out.'
'Now your payment is due.'
'What do you want?'
'For you to permanently separate my consciousness from my body.'
In her surprise, her voice raised several pitches higher.
'You want to die?'
'So dramatic and numb skulled, you are! After everything you've been through, you still don't understand that death is not the end.'
After a moment, he said, 'There is no place in the world for a person with a body like mine. I wish to start over again.'
'Why not return to Valhol?'
'Living is about evolution. I already had my time with the Primordials.'
'Why do you ask this of me?'
'Because the Primordials are only a handful, now, so they won't allow me to die.'
'But you're not one of them.'
'But I look like a Primordial. I'm the image of what they used to be. Vidar still lives, and he won't hear of my demise.'
'What if he comes after me?'
'Once I drank their blood, I inherited all their powers, and now I'm, in a way, a Primordial. Once you drink my blood, you'll be one, too.'
'I don't want to drink your blood.'
'You have too. I've been waiting for someone like you to come along. Now is my chance, and I will seize it, for I won't spend another century tethered to this body. Today, only one person will be left living, here: you or me.'
Starr sighed.
'How do you want me to do this?'
'Just like a common vampire, our brains must be destroyed. Out in the hall is a long machete. It is used to maim or kill the guests when a snack is desired. You will use it to penetrate my skull.'
'Your skin is too tough.'
'As we age, though our skins get tougher, it is quite easy to rip or shred. Much like an exotic fruit, you must strike it the right way.'
'Yeah, okay.'
She stood up and the concrete wall slid back. He whispered the way to the sword to her.
But when she got to the upper floor, she tried to run for it.
Sestin's invisible force pulled her back, slamming her back onto the concrete floor.
Pain shot up and down her back, paralyzing her temporarily.
Starr heard the green door being bolted back into the ceiling, but she still couldn't get up.
The people in the rooms screamed and cried out.
Sestin tried to drag her back down the stairs, but Starr wedged herself across the doorway.
Angered by her stubbornness, he growled so loud that it hurt her ears.
Starr ran back to the green door and pounded it with her fists. A second later, she heard steps echoing off the concrete.
Scared, she turned around and watched him get closer.
Starr knew she was close to vamping out, as is what happens when their kind are in extreme danger: The animal within would take over. As it was, her teeth had already extended.
Sestin got closer and closer. Looking straight at her with his gleaming red eyes, he leaned his hardened face into hers, and surprised her by slamming his fist into her gut.
She reeled in pain. It was like being nailed by a comet.
She fell to the floor and cried.
He reached down and pulled her up by the hair.
She screamed to the top of lungs, and then all went black.
Kicked out of Boston
Chapter 7
The sounds of footsteps brought her back to reality.
She peered up and saw Keagan standing over her, looking livid.
Sestin's brains lay half eaten on the ground. His rib cage had been broken back, and his heart, liver and kidneys were missing from the pile of innards that Starr must have pulled out of his chest.
"How could you do this?" he asked with a shaky voice.
His eyes were iridescent and his fangs were drawn.
"I-I didn't mean to. He attacked me; it was a setup."
"Why?"
"Because he knew I'd take him out, one way or another."
"No, but why you? I've been his loyal servant for centuries!"
She couldn't answer because the blood from his heart and brains were already causing her pain and hallucinations.
She screamed out as she rolled around the floor in pain.
"AAAAARRRGGHHH!" Keagan screamed and jumped on her.
He punched her in the face repeatedly, sending blood spatters across the room.
She wanted to fight back, but the blood made her so sick that she couldn't even vamp out.
Starr felt his fangs on her throat when he was flung from her.
She didn't get to see who saved her because she'd passed out.
~~~
When she came to, she was in a sagging green bed.
She got up and walked out of the dusty old room. Her limbs felt heavy like stone, and her head pounded, slightly.
Slowly, Starr walked downstairs.
It was strange house that hadn't been re decorated since the sixties.
Ciaran and Aine were there, in the living room. He was taking tea in and doing a crossword while Aine was working on her laptop.