by Adair Hart
The werebears stepped back and roared.
Dr. Snowden’s eyes popped open. “Uhh … what’s happening?”
Lord Vygon raised a hand. “Wait! He may not be from this planet, but he is not associated with the black-clothed humans you’ve probably been seeing. That’s why we’re here actually. Please, we just want to talk to Delia.”
The werebears stopped roaring and stepped back and to the side. They knelt facing each other as a large tree slid toward them out of the forest. Standing more than thirty feet tall, it towered over them. Vines swirled around the branches. A face etched on the main trunk had yellow eyes, and the mouth was just an opening.
Dr. Snowden gulped as he stood behind Evaran.
The tree paused as it scanned them. After another moment, it shifted down into an older woman with light-brown skin and green eyes. She had green hair that flowed down her back. Pieces of wood rose on her upper arms and legs, and a sleeveless robe made of patches of foliage hung off her shoulders. Vines swirled around her body like snakes hunting a meal.
Dr. Snowden averted his eyes as the woman approached them, with both werebears to her sides. Others had emerged from the forest as well. It was like the forest had come alive. Various small tree shifters appeared along with other animal shifters. The owl ones made his skin crawl.
Lord Vygon knelt, causing Evaran and Dr. Snowden to kneel.
“Excuse my personal bodyguard. These are dire times, and aliens aren’t exactly welcomed here with open arms,” said the woman. “I am Delia Everoak, matriarch and leader of the Ollikrin Nation, protector of these lands. Why do you wish counsel, ancient vampire?”
Lord Vygon rose with the others and then stepped forward. “There is a threat that I believe impacts all nonhumans. You may have already seen the scouts of these new enemies. They take the form of men in black clothes and have a crystal embedded in their heads.”
“We have seen them,” said Delia. “They shoot at us with beams of light, and those they hit disappear. However, they do not survive for long in this forest. We have killed every one of them that has entered.”
“Yes … we’ve had someone close to us disappear as well,” said Lord Vygon, glancing at Dr. Snowden. He faced Delia. “I know you don’t care for the Helians, but their city was attacked by these men. They won’t survive unless I can bring others to help defend it. If they go down, we’re all in danger.”
“We can defend ourselves should that come to pass. The Helians only seek to control. Perhaps this is their reckoning.”
Lord Vygon sighed and glanced at Evaran.
Evaran narrowed his eyes. “Before I bring up my points, may I request that we speak privately?”
Delia studied Evaran, then raised her arm off to the side at a ninety-degree angle. The assembled group behind her faded back into the forest, along with the werebears. After they had departed, she focused on Evaran. “Your wish has been granted … time traveler.”
Evaran glanced at Dr. Snowden then Lord Vygon before returning his gaze on Delia. “It would seem I am no stranger to you.”
“You’re not. As one of the oldest nonhumans on this planet, your journeys through time have not gone unnoticed, and I suspect what you’re about to tell me involves it to some degree.”
“You are very perceptive,” said Evaran with a nod. He cleared his throat. “We are from three years in the future. However,” he said, gesturing at Dr. Snowden, “Dr. Snowden and I came from roughly four thousand years in the future prior to that.”
Dr. Snowden expected Delia to be surprised, but instead, she just smiled. He thought it was interesting that Delia knew of Evaran. Given that Lord Vygon did as well, he wondered how many other powerful nonhumans knew of Evaran’s adventures in Earth’s past.
“And you felt it necessary to come back here, to enlist our aid to stop these men?” asked Delia.
“Yes. The Human Dominion, also known as the Purifiers, is here now, in the past, removing threats prior to consolidating power. Once they are in power, they will use superior technology to hunt and kill you. In the future of this current timeline, I rescued the last of your kind, your granddaughter actually. She fought these Purifiers in a losing battle,” said Evaran.
Delia raised her head a bit and eyed Evaran. “The last …”
Evaran nodded. “She was brave and fought well. I have a video of her if you wish to see it. It would not affect the timeline since if this is corrected, she would never have existed, at least in that incarnation.”
Delia nodded.
“V, show the recording from my chest during the last fight with the Purifiers on the Saturn station.”
V shimmered into view and flew in front of Evaran. “Acknowledged.”
Delia took a step back.
Evaran extended a hand. “I apologize. No deception was intended. V is my friend and can show you.”
Delia studied V for a moment, then nodded and gestured for Evaran to continue.
V shot down a projection showing Shandra in tree form fighting the Purifiers. It showed her getting hit and then reverting to a human form. Then it displayed Evaran ordering Miles to carry her away.
“Did she …”
“No. I healed her back to health. The one carrying her is a Wildborn, and also her husband. She kept the Everoak name, though.”
Delia looked down for a moment as her eyes misted, then back up at Evaran. “How do you know these men here now are Purifiers?”
“We captured one in an earlier encounter. This is from three years in the future at Lord Vygon’s base. V, display our meeting.”
“Acknowledged,” said V.
A projection shot out showing the discussion in Lord Vygon’s base with the sentinel.
Delia frowned as she watched it. When it was over, she clenched her teeth. “So these sentinels … are sending our kind to a prison.”
Evaran nodded. “Yes. This is the next day on Atlantis. V, show Atlantis.”
“Acknowledged,” said V.
The projection showed Atlantis being swarmed by the sentinels from their earlier encounter.
Delia’s eyes widened as she watched over the next few moments. “So many …”
“Their numbers are formidable, and even though their technology is low-tech compared to the Helians, their ranged weaponry is quite powerful. We are asking for your aid to help even the odds. There may be some casualties, but the stakes are high. All we would ask is that you assemble a group here, in three years from this exact day, to help defend Atlantis. Once Atlantis is secured, we would then assault the Purifiers’ main base.”
Delia cocked her head. “That’s a big request. I will need to confer with our internal council.”
Lord Vygon nodded. “We figured as much. That’s why we came into the past, instead of from where we were in time.”
“You were wise to do so,” said Delia.
“Wasn’t my idea,” said Lord Vygon. He pointed at Dr. Snowden. “It was his.”
Delia scanned Dr. Snowden, who looked down. “A human … with machines in him.” She stood in front of Dr. Snowden and caressed his face with a vine that snaked out from her body. “You’re in great pain.”
Dr. Snowden swallowed hard as his eyes watered. “They took my niece.”
Delia smiled. “You care for her a great deal, I can feel that.” She tilted her head. “She was human, though.”
Dr. Snowden nodded. He was not sure how she could see or feel it, but a sense of calmness washed over him in Delia’s presence. Her acceptance of the evidence presented did not surprise him. She seemed to know things beyond the visual.
Evaran put a hand on Dr. Snowden’s shoulder. “They probably sensed the machines in Emily and classified her as a nonhuman.”
One of Delia’s vines lightly squeezed Dr. Snowden’s arm. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
Dr. Snowden exhaled as he half smiled at Delia.
Delia stepped back and eyed Evaran. “I will bring it up to the council. You can check back here in
three years’ time to know our answer. We may have some concessions if we agree to help, though.”
Evaran nodded. “That is fair. I would suggest you tell your internal council that if they help, a new global council will be formed, and the Ollikrin Nation will be one of its founders.”
Delia half smiled. “A powerful concession. I will mention it.”
“Thank you for your counsel,” said Lord Vygon with a bow.
Dr. Snowden wiped his eyes and bowed. After Evaran bowed as well, they headed back to the Torvatta.
Several hours later, the Torvatta touched down on a beach. The front right screen showed a view from above of a large body of water in southeastern Russia.
“So … where are we and who’re we contacting?” asked Dr. Snowden as he studied the map. The thought that time was slipping by every moment was not lost on him. He understood why they were gathering help, but thinking of Emily and what she must be going through made him sweat.
“In your time, this is known as Lake Baikal, the largest freshwater lake in the world. As to whom we seek, I defer to Lord Vygon,” said Evaran.
Lord Vygon nodded. “We’re looking for Lord Noskov, one of four ancient vampires in the world, including me.”
“I know him,” said Evaran, tilting his head. “He was quite helpful.”
Lord Vygon snorted. “Well … then you must have met him in the future. He’s a bit … rough. This will not be easy. Let me do the talking.”
“Very well. Shall we proceed?”
Lord Vygon nodded, and they all exited the Torvatta. Evaran motioned for V to go into scout mode. After V took off, Lord Vygon gestured for Evaran and Dr. Snowden to stay where they were as he stepped forward and closed his eyes. He placed both hands on the sides of his head in an arched position, with the fingertips at the top and his thumbs at the base of his jaw.
Dr. Snowden looked around. He was not sure what Lord Vygon was doing but figured it must be some type of communication. A light breeze massaged Dr. Snowden’s skin, and the smell of the lake washed over him. He could see a gently sloped grass hill off to the right with sporadic groupings of trees on it. The beach did not extend far inland before meeting up with a forest. Forests and nonhumans seemed to go together, but it made sense to him if they were hiding out. If this were not such a pressing situation, it would be a place he could relax in.
His attention focused on the four blurs of motion that appeared before him. These were definitely vampires. He had come to understand their movement, and although he could not tell exactly the type of nonhuman, the movement of various types was becoming familiar. Vampires seemed to move in a blur, and when standing still, it was like their movements were stuttered. The first vampire in front of the other three moved faster and had on some type of bone armor, with fur filling in the gaps. A fur cape fell behind him. He had pale skin, black eyes with no white in them, and short black hair. The others wore similar outfits but were less pronounced.
Lord Vygon lowered his hands, opened his eyes, and nodded at the lead vampire. “Lord Noskov.”
Lord Noskov dipped his head. “Lord Vygon.”
“I come to you with my friends Evaran and Dr. Albert Snowden,” said Lord Vygon. “We have some things to discuss … in private.”
Lord Noskov walked up to Evaran and looked him over. He then did the same to Dr. Snowden. “They look human … but they aren’t.”
“Umm … I’m human,” said Dr. Snowden with raised eyebrows.
Lord Noskov snapped his head toward Dr. Snowden. “You can understand the ancient vampire language … impressive. You look human, but don’t smell like it. You smell toxic, like metal.” He walked back to his group and faced Lord Vygon. “I thought you were sleeping?”
“I am,” said Lord Vygon. “It’s … a bit complicated.”
Lord Noskov studied Lord Vygon, then snorted. He waved his hand in the air, and the other three vampires took off back to the forest. “You have my attention.”
Lord Vygon nodded. “Let me start by asking if you’ve seen any men in black clothes with a crystal embedded in their heads.”
Lord Noskov smirked. “Seen them … yes … and killed them with ease. They come into our forest with staffs that shoot beams of light. Sometimes they use poisoned bolts.” He waved a hand in the air. “Haven’t seen one in a while, though. I think they learned not to mess with House Noskov.”
“Did you talk to any of them before killing them?”
Lord Noskov chuckled.
“Yeah … I figured not. We captured one at my base and recorded our conversation with it,” said Lord Vygon. He glanced at Evaran.
Evaran nodded. “V, display the meeting.”
V shimmered into view. “Acknowledged.”
Lord Noskov recoiled and hissed. He pointed at V. “What is that thing?”
“I am a variable utility artificial intelligence orb. My shortened name is V.”
“What?”
“V is my friend,” said Lord Vygon. “Yes, he’s a machine, but it’s—”
“Complicated …”
Lord Vygon nodded. “Right. There’s nothing to fear from him. Go ahead, V.”
“Acknowledged,” said V. He projected the meeting with the sentinel at Lord Vygon’s base.
Lord Noskov studied the projection.
Dr. Snowden wondered why so many nonhumans seemed to be comfortable with advanced technology when explained. The Helians must have acclimated most of them to it was his thought. The holographic projection did not seem to bother Lord Noskov, but the presence of V startled him, so maybe there were some limitations on what they knew to be possible. It was a topic he looked forward to discussing with Lord Vygon at some point, and a welcome distraction from the constant panic he felt at the edges of his mind when thinking of Emily.
“So they’re attacking nonhumans,” said Lord Noskov. “Why does this concern me? They’ve been easy to handle so far.”
“Atlantis has been attacked and is about to fall,” said Lord Vygon. “We need help in defending it. Delia Everoak of the Ollikrin Nation is considering lending her aid to the effort. It’s a chance for nonhumans that aren’t Helians to become part of the global community.”
“The Ollikrin? Last time I encountered them, they tried to kill me …”
Lord Vygon bobbed his head. “Well … you do have a bounty on your head for … what you did.”
“It was justifiable,” said Lord Noskov with narrowed eyes. “Besides, even if I agreed, it would take time to get there.”
Lord Vygon bobbed his head. “It wouldn’t. This is where it gets complicated. We are from three years in the future.”
“What?”
“Right now, there are two of me,” said Lord Vygon. “One is sleeping at my base, the other is me, here, right now, except I’m from the future.”
“Time travel is not possible,” said Lord Noskov.
“You’ll have to take my word for it,” said Lord Vygon. “I know you’d rather kill Helians than help them, but if you agree to help … I’ll stand with you in having the bounty from the Helians retracted.”
Evaran tilted his head. “If it helps, I will as well.”
Lord Noskov snapped his head toward Evaran. “I don’t know what weight you carry. It’s none with me.”
“For now. That will change.”
Lord Noskov narrowed his eyes. “I’ll consider it.” He looked at Lord Vygon. “For now, brother, join me for an early dinner. It’s been too long since I’ve seen another ancient.”
Lord Vygon glanced at Evaran and Dr. Snowden, who nodded. “Lead on.”
They followed Lord Noskov into the forest. Dr. Snowden rubbed the goose bumps on his arm as the clouded sky caused the forest to take on a more sinister look. The smells of the damp woodlands washed over him. He could see a fire in the distance, with various blurs moving around it. Dr. Snowden had imagined Lord Noskov’s base would be a cave similar to Lord Vygon’s, but maybe with a bounty out on Lord Noskov, it was best to be mobil
e.
After ten more minutes of trudging through the forest, they arrived at Lord Noskov’s base. A pit fire raged with various wooden tables and chairs around it. Dr. Snowden noticed that most of the vampires had on similar outfits to the three they had met on the beach. One in particular stood out to him. It was a bald-headed man with just his lower half covered. He towered over the others and sat in silence scrutinizing Dr. Snowden, Evaran, and Lord Vygon. The hair on the back of Dr. Snowden’s neck stood up. He was surrounded by killers.
Lord Noskov gestured for them to take seats next to him at a large table. After sitting, Lord Noskov clapped his hands. The big vampire Dr. Snowden had seen before disappeared for a moment, then came back out leading a naked man with his hands tied. The vampire pushed the man down in front of the fire. Lord Noskov nodded, and the vampire pulled out a sharpened blade.
Evaran stood up. “I invoke the house challenge.”
A silence spread across the camp.
“For what?” asked Lord Noskov.
“I cannot let you kill that man in my presence,” said Evaran, pointing to the man in front of the fire.
Lord Noskov and the other vampires burst into laughter. “And you want to … invoke the house challenge … for that? Tell me … what do you know about the challenge?”
“I can issue a challenge to a house. The house allows for the request to be granted if the house lord, or his champion, can be defeated in hand-to-hand combat,” said Evaran.
Lord Noskov glanced at Lord Vygon. “Did you tell him of this?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Where’d you hear this?” asked Lord Noskov, staring at Evaran.
“From someone far in the future,” said Evaran.
Lord Noskov jerked his head back. He studied Evaran for a moment, then leaned forward with his gaze focused on Evaran’s eyes. With a tilt of his head, and in a deep voice, he said, “You don’t want to fight me …”
Evaran half grinned. “Your hypnotic gaze, while effective on most, will not work on me.”
Lord Noskov rubbed his chin as he studied Evaran. “That’s … interesting … Well then. Since you seem to know of the rule, then you know only an ancient can issue it to another ancient.”