“Can we help you, Mother Atius?” Mitzi asked.
Mother Atius looked Mitzi up and down. “Yes, my child.” She grabbed Mitzi by the arm, then whispered, “I’m sorry, forgive me.”
Mitzi couldn't tell who Mother Atius requested forgiveness from, but before she realised it, Mitzi found herself being hauled from the room. Screams erupted from her little brother as other apothecaries appeared, trying futilely to console the younger child.
Mitzi pulled on her arm. “My brother needs to come with me!”
“No, my child. He does not.”
“He does!” Mitzi argued. “We promised we’d look out for each other!”
“Then trust me, it will be best for him to stay.” Mother Atius tightened her grip, and forced Mitzi to stride beside her.
A lump formed in Mitzi’s throat. What was happening? Where was she being taken? Terrible, monster-filled tales—ones told to keep children in line—flooded through her mind. Even so, the main thing she worried about was her brother.
Walking through the dimly lit halls, the hair on the back of Mitzi’s neck pricked up. She sensed that something watched her. Mitzi spun her head around, gazing into the shadows.
“Hello?” Mitzi asked into the darkness.
Not a shift in the shadows. Nothing was there, but Mother Atius fell into an even hastier step.
“I’m going to need you to behave,” Mother Atius said. She spoke warmly, but her sweating face displayed worry. Perhaps even more worry than Mitzi felt. “A man has come to take care of you. You should be a good girl. Do what you can to keep him happy.”
“What about my brother?” Mitzi asked, sniffling. “He will be scared without me. I’m all he has.”
“I’m sorry about your brother. It’s best he remains here. We will keep him safe in your absence.”
“You promise?”
“Of course, my child.” Mother Atius’ grip softened. “May Ralumina watch over you both.”
Mitzi was led into the atrium. Within, was a tall and handsome man with a chiselled jaw. Medium-length, blond hair sat neatly in place with a perfect part down the middle. He wore a dark suit, far too smooth to be made from local furs, and it was completely free of wrinkles or creases. With hands clasped behind his back, he raised a brow as Mitzi came into his vision.
“She is beautiful,” the man said, his blue eyes widening.
“This is Mitzi Holtz,” Mother Atius said. “Her father was a slayer—”
“A slayer?” The man tilted his head to the side and squinted through one eye.
“He passed away last year,” Mitzi said, frowning. “He died while defending Holtur from the Eye of Desecration.”
“Oh, I am so sorry,” the man said. “My name is Martin Gnan. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Martin reached his hand out to Mitzi and smiled.
Hesitantly, Mitzi shook the offered hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you too.”
Mother Atius moved behind Mitzi and placed her hands on the girl’s shoulders. “Mitzi has promised to be a good girl and work as required.”
“Work?” Martin squinted again. “I’m a very wealthy merchant—as I’m sure my donation to your establishment proves—and no child of mine will be thrown into labour!”
Mitzi frowned. Her father was a hard worker, a slayer, and always said that over-abundant wealth was the source of an evil far more terrifying than the monsters he slew. She forced a cautious smile and took in a deep breath. “Thank you…”
“Come,” Martin said, reaching out and taking Mitzi’s hand. “I’d like to introduce you to your new life before the moons set in.”
***
Mitzi’s father was wrong; wealth was a beautiful thing. Martin had taken her out for the tastiest kuhvi burgers she had ever eaten. Afterwards, he even let her have two desserts! Two! First she had ice-cream and caramelised apples, her favourite. Then Martin ordered a serving of his own personal favourite: graekan egg custard with sugar coral. No one had ever told her of sweet coral or graekan eggs before, but they were among the nicest things she had ever eaten! Apparently, also very expensive.
When they got back to Martin’s Holtur residence—he had eleven other houses in distant towns—Mitzi found herself overjoyed to be shown around her new home. It was in the southern part of town where all the fancy houses were. Martin’s house was the grandest: the entrance lit up with lamps that shone over his ornamental garden. The building itself was smooth and white, with more rooms than Mitzi could imagine one man would ever need. He must get lonely; that must be why he had adopted her.
Mitzi’s room was on the upper floor of the three-story building. A glass window from inside her room flaunted the shining moon. Below the moon, a rippling reflection far in the distance shimmered. That must be the ocean. In this very moment, Mitzi felt extremely special.
She sunk into the large, bed by the window. The pink silks were softer than any she had rested upon, and the bed was far bigger than anything she imagined a twelve-year-old would ever need. Closing her eyes to rest, Mitzi decided she’d be the best adopted daughter Martin could possibly ask for. So good, that Martin would want more children. Hopefully, she could then convince him to adopt Dirk. Things looked good. Maybe Martin would even be able to help their mother, then things would be perfect. Well, as perfect as they could be since her father had passed away.
***
Heavy steps in the hallway outside pulled Mitzi from slumber. At that moment, she realised it had become cold. Really, really cold. She blinked her eyes a few times to gain her bearings. Her new room. The small hearth had completely died, not even a single ember danced on the ashes. The moonlight that shone through her window was the only source of illumination, and even that seemed dim now.
A breeze flowed over her, almost like a living being. It startled her upright. Small flakes of snow were floating towards her, drifting in from the window. It was no longer sealed shut. She hadn’t heard any footsteps inside her room. How could a window open by itself?
The steps in the hallway converged on her door, and, before she could get out of bed to close the window, her bedroom door swung open. Three shadowy figures blocked the light of the hall. The odor of strong alcohol and weird tobacco followed them in, assaulting her senses.
“Mitzi…” Martin said, then belched. “Some of my friends would like to play with you.”
“What?” she nervously asked. Suddenly, fear overcame her.
“Shhh… It’s all just a bit of fun,” Martin said.
Mitzi froze in terror as the three figures moved into the room. The door closed. Darkness returned. What was going on? Did Mother Atius realise something like this would happen? Why would she set Mitzi up for something like this? Martin seemed nice, why would he do this?
Dull moonlight wrapped around the figures as they approached Mitzi’s bed. All she could do was scream. No one would hear. No one would come for her.
Without warning, the hearth roared to life and brilliantly lit up the room. In that moment, Mitzi swore she saw other people in the shadows. They, too, were moving towards her. How many people were coming after her? She dove under her blankets, wrapping them tightly around herself into a protective cocoon.
“Come on, don’t be shy,” Martin said.
Thud. Someone fell over. Crash. Another fell.
“What is the meaning of this?” Martin said, a hint of confusion in his voice.
Everything fell silent outside of Mitzi’s protective shell, but she didn’t dare escape. She didn’t want to play this weird game, she just wanted to sleep. Right now, all she wanted was to be back at the sanctuary orphanage with her brother.
Another thud.
“Who’s there?” Martin asked, his voice trembling.
Mitzi tightened the soft materials around her.
“I know what you were going to do to her, boy,” a young, feminine voice said. “And now, you are fair game.”
“Fair game?” Martin asked.
Quietness stilled the outside air
. Mitzi didn’t move a muscle.
“Indeed,” the female said, interrupting the quiet. “People like you made me what I am.”
“And what are you?” Martin asked.
“It doesn’t matter what I am. Only that I am a creation of monsters like you, and your… friends.”
Mitzi listened to more footsteps converging around her. It sounded like they were kneeling, and she could hear a slurping noise—like a baby feeding on a mother’s breast. The sucking noise stopped, then it sounded like people shifted places. The sucking resumed. There were two distinct locations of this slurping; one on either side of her bed!
“What’s happening to my friends?” Martin squealed. His voice then twisted into a cry.
If this was a game, Martin was incredibly convincing. If not a game, Mitzi was terrified of what must be lurking in her room. The air in her tight cocoon grew hot around her face. She wanted to crawl out, but instead slowed her breathing and made sure not to move a single hair on her body.
“You’ve heard of leeches, right child?” the woman asked. “Those mysterious slugs that suck the life from unsuspecting Holtur citizens?”
“Yes…” Martin released between sobs.
“That’s a lie.”
“What?” Martin shot back.
“Sometimes we get a little thirsty and need to drain a man or two,” the female said. “Usually we go for the sickly or elderly. But your kind, defilers, make a good snack in between.”
Leeches! Mitzi’s father, like every slayer at one point or another, often grew frustrated while trying to hunt these things down. No one could ever find them after they had hit Holtur. Now, the vile things surrounded Mitzi. The importance of remaining undetected grew paramount; if she was found, Mitzi would be nothing more than a bloodless corpse come first sun.
“No…” Martin said. “Don’t do this! Leave my friends alone. I can pay you, whatever you want! Name your price.”
Hysterical laughter burst from the leech woman. A few chuckles from other men and women followed. Mitzi wondered what these leeches actually looked like. They sound like people, of both genders, but do they look human? Or more like a slug? And what was going on outside her protective cocoon? How did the leeches do what they did?
Once the woman’s laughter faded, she asked, “Can you give me back my childhood? Take back what those men did to me? Absolve me from my sins? Make me pure in the eyes of the gods?”
“I don’t know—”
“No, you cannot.”
“I’m rich! I’ll give you everything I have!”
“Foolish child,” the woman snickered. “When this is all over, House Aepherius will own everything you have. Your begging won’t change that.”
“Why are you doing this?” Martin cried.
“Why were you going to do those things to little Mitzi?”
Mitzi shivered upon hearing her name. Hopefully the leeches didn’t notice. She really didn’t want to become a corpse.
“My merchant friends and I, we were sent word that such activity is acceptable in Holtur… We didn’t think that it mattered here.”
“Stand up, boy!” the woman demanded.
Mitzi listened as Martin stood back to his feet. She knew the moment he was upright, for he gasped and cried upon seeing something. His friends perhaps? Mitzi cringed.
“Why?” Martin managed between sobs.
“I told you! People like you made me what I am,” the woman said. “If you haven’t figured it out yet, it’s also people like you that keep me, and my friends, what we are.”
Martin breathed in deeply. “Well, get it over with.”
“In time,” the female said. “You see, the men that took me, they did what they did remarkably slowly. They tortured me, made it last a long time. Call me poetic, but I like to offer a parallel opportunity to those who accept that same calling.”
“Same calling?” Martin asked. “You are the one who lured us into this? It’s not right!”
“No, it is not,” the female said, despair tainting her innocent voice.
“You’re a monster!” Martin’s voice rose with drunken aggression. “How long have you been doing this?”
“We are both monsters, boy. I just select more deserving victims,” she said. “It’s been quite effective for the last two hundred years.”
“Bah!” Martin spat. “You look barely ten, there’s no way you are that old. Is this some kind of tasteless joke?”
“I’m afraid not,” the female said.
“Alright, Quirin and Reto, you’ve made your point,” Martin said, laughing. “Good one guys, you can get up now.”
“Take off your pants,” the woman said.
“What?”
“It’s what you wanted, right? With little Mitzi?”
“But… I…”
“Just do it, boy!”
Mitzi shivered, listening to the exchange outside. Martin’s buckle released with a clank. His pants dropped to the floor. Shortly after, a blood curdling scream, a thud, and finally, the complete quietening of Martin.
“Are you finished?” the woman asked.
“Nearly,” another voice replied.
“Good,” said the woman. “Once they are drained, return this one to House Aepherius. The cock-less fool should make a decent enough thrall until we find a more suitable one.”
“Yes, Velatoria,” the second voice responded.
“Mitzi,” the woman—the leech—said. “I want you to come out from there, but keep your eyes closed.”
Mitzi made sure not to breathe. Not to move. She was still. Invisible.
“I know you’re there. Come out, Mitzi.”
Mitzi didn’t want to speak. These horrors might kill her.
“Mitzi?”
Mitzi held her breath. She mustn’t make a noise. She mustn’t breathe.
“I know you are there.” Something gently brushed up against her protective cocoon.
They knew, yet they didn’t harm her. Maybe these were good leeches? Here to protect the innocent? Mitzi took in a deep breath—she needed it—then asked, “You won’t hurt me, will you?”
“No, I promise to keep you safe, provided you keep your eyes closed.”
They knew where she was. There was no point hiding now. Mitzi released her firm grip of the sheets, then squirmed out from her hiding hole.
“Give me your hand,” the leech said, “and don’t open your eyes. Not until I tell you to.”
Mitzi reached out blindly until a cold hand wrapped around hers. The leech’s hand was smaller than Mitzi’s, but the grip was tight. Suddenly, Mitzi jolted out from the bed. Her legs drifted across the floor. The air grew icy cold.
“You can open them now,” the leech said.
Mitzi opened her eyes to discover she was flying. The leech’s hand was dragging her along, but it wasn’t attached to a physical person. At the elbow point the skin transformed into a smoky shadow. Mitzi’s instincts told her it was a good time to panic; she didn’t, she felt calm, at peace.
She glanced down, noticing how high they were, and gasped. “It’s beautiful.” And it was. The town of Holtur had a light dusting of snow over the tall stone buildings. The clear sky allowed the moon to light up every street and building with its dull glow.
The shadow-thing laughed. “Not what I expected you to say! I’m glad you’re enjoying the view.”
“What… happened?” Mitzi asked. “I’m confused.”
“It’s best you forget about it,” the shadow-thing said. “Records of your adoption do not exist. You were never adopted and you will be back with your brother again shortly.”
“I have to tell my brother what happened,” Mitzi said. “He’s probably been worrying about me every moment I’ve been missing.”
They dove, speeding towards a building. It rushed towards them, fast. Then before impact, they slowed. Almost to a complete halt. Mitzi gently stepped onto the rooftop. In front of her, shadows swirled into the outline of a short person. A moment la
ter, the shadow materialised into a physical being. Mitzi was shocked to discover what a leech really looked like. It looked like a girl.
She didn’t look scary or like a monster. She certainly didn’t seem capable of killing, especially an adult like Martin. The leech was tiny, frail, even smaller than Mitzi. Even under the moonlight it was obvious she had no colour to her skin, it was porcelain-white! The blackest of hair matched her dark attire.
“My apologies,” the girl said. “You cannot tell your brother a thing.”
“Why not?” Mitzi asked, unsure if she was more curious how the girl transformed, or the reason she must hide it.
“For if you tell anyone. ANYONE. My family and I will hunt you down. We will hunt down your brother, your mother, and anyone you tell about us.”
Mitzi’s eyes went wide and she staggered backwards. “Why? I thought you were good? You saved me from those men.”
“I am far from good, Mitzi.” The girl gazed intently at Mitzi, like a wolf locking eyes with a rabbit. “I am part of a necessary evil; something that brings balance to our world. We require the blood of your people to survive, but in turn, we protect your weak. I am a monster, Mitzi, and you do know what your people do to monsters, right?
Snow was getting stuck in Mitzi’s hair and clothes. She folded her arms, shivered, then confessed, “We slay them.”
“Correct! In ways you will hopefully never understand, we protect Holtur. If the slayers ever went to war with House Aepherius, it would mean the end of Holtur. Possibly the end of much more.”
Mitzi nodded.
“My name is Velatoria, and I will not hesitate to consume you, or your family, to protect Holtur.”
Mitzi tightened her arms around her freezing body and nodded.
“But if you ever encounter men like Martin again, call my name to the moon. I relish cleansing Holtur of defilers.”
Mitzi offered another shivering nod.
“Now, let’s get you back to your brother,” Velatoria said. “It’s too cold for a girl to be wandering around outside!”
Before Mitzi could respond, they were powering through the sky once more.
Holtur Stories Page 12