The Nosferatu Chronicles: Origins

by Susan Hamilton

  Iam will provide others when we return.

  His lasgun and scanner were secured at his waist by his utility belt. As he and J’Vor walked through the moonless night, he used his night vision to continuously scan in all directions for any signs of humans, Vambir, or vicious beasts. According to a description in one of Kevak’s books, the Carpathians were blanketed in a thick forest at the base and no doubt would be dotted with countless caves. Best of all, there were no villages at the higher altitudes, and the only humans in the region would be the occasional shepherds tending wandering flocks. The isolation of the Carpathians made it a safer haven than Bazna, and it would be a pleasant change not to be constantly on guard against hostile encounters.

  After three weeks of traveling, the mountains came into view among the glittering stars.

  “Look, father!” cried J’Vor. “We’ll be there before sunrise!”

  “No, my son,” replied Kevak with a laugh. “They are still a great distance away. They only look close because of their massive height.”

  J’Vor did not believe Kevak at first, but by the end of the night the mountains appeared no closer.

  Before each sunrise, Kevak thanked Iam for providing shelter: a cave, a crawl-space in a cliff wall, or deep ditch next to a flowing stream. The thick pines provided many places for their pod to escape detection.

  Kevak noticed that J’Vor tired easily in the high altitude, and on the final nights of the journey he allowed him to ride in the pod.

  “No one else can boast of such an elaborate carriage,” Kevak commented, and J’Vor happily concurred.

  Once they were above the tree line, Kevak selected a cave that allowed him to spy any approaching threats from a great distance. Their new home was much larger than their Bazna cave, and Kevak was filled with optimism that he would soon find the three vampires, even though the bio-scanner had not yet picked up their life signs. They must be in a cave somewhere, and it would only be a matter of time until he came within range for the bio-scanner to detect them.

  After installing a new cloaking device at the cave entrance, Kevak turned to ask J’Vor if he would like to play a game of chess but saw that the boy was fast asleep. Stepping quietly over, he gently stroked his head.

  May Iam bless you, my son.

  REMISSION

  Hoia-Baciu Forest, Transylvania

  Chaluxi looked down and inspected his hands. It had been five days since he took the last measurement. He had wanted to wait a full week before the taking the next one but could not resist. Pulling on the string he had tied against the wall of the dilapidated, abandoned barn, he lined up the knot with the base of his left wrist to measure where the tip of his longest finger ended.

  At least two inches longer than before!

  He touched his ears. Although they were already pointed from his self-mutilation, he could feel that they too were growing.

  Licking his lips, he felt the old, familiar sensation of protruding central fangs resting there, while the canines had all but vanished.

  Slowly, he ran his fingers over his smooth, bald head. It had not been necessary to shave in nearly four weeks.

  Making a small cut in his arm, he inspected the wound and smiled when he saw that the reverse metamorphosis was rendering the red liquid into a pink, chalky substance.

  It will revert to ichor, given time.

  Going outside, he stepped gingerly around the traps he had set. In this remote part of the forest, there had been no signs of recent human activity, but a Vambir couldn’t be too careful. Any human approaching the barn would have fallen into one of several camouflaged pits he had dug. He was profoundly relieved that it had not come to that, since his blood cravings would have gotten the better of him at the beginning of his time here. He had not fashioned the pits with stakes like the ones at the monastery. Any hapless human falling in would have merely been unable to scale the walls. He had lashed together a ladder from branches and had resolved to toss it down to any trapped human at nightfall. His superior speed would ensure that he would be far away before the alarm could be raised.

  Inspecting the ground, he detected only animal tracks that had been left behind long ago. Not only was his night vision becoming ever more acute, but his ears could also once again differentiate between the sounds of a tadpole gliding at the edge of a pond and a minnow plucking a mosquito lying on the surface of the water.

  Six weeks ago, he had ploughed crop rows with a sturdy branch and painstakingly planted each individual seed given to him by Kevak. The first sprouts broke through the surface in a matter of weeks and were knee-high after a month. Three days ago, he had been rewarded with the sight of tiny red buds adorning each plant. Even in the darkness, the rows of plants were beginning to take on a crimson hue, and as the breeze softly blew, he detected their faint fragrance.

  As he patrolled the perimeter, he constantly listened for distant hooves, a precursor to humans. When he waved his bio-scanner, the only life signs that registered were those of small animals. Even the wolves avoided this area.

  His nightly activities were orderly and specifically designed to keep his thoughts away from blood cravings. The hunger during the first two weeks had nearly driven him mad, in spite of the hemo-nectar introduced into his system by Kevak. The chemical reactions in his brain to blood withdrawal persisted in tricking him into feeling as if he was starving.

  Kevak was right to refuse me shelter. The humans in Bazna would have proven too much of a temptation, and I would have put everything at risk.

  It had been good to see Kevak again, even if their time together had been all too brief. Kevak had accomplished the seemingly impossible: thriving in secret as an unaltered Vambir. Chaluxi was filled with hope that he could become like him.

  If only Kevak and I could have harvested the first crop…

  He instantly stopped himself from dwelling on that. Such thoughts still had the ability to send him spiraling back into the abyss of depression and guilt that had gripped him during the first weeks of blood withdrawal. He could not change the past, but it was within his power to protect humans from any future Vambir threat.

  I will make amends.

  He often wondered how Emanui, Jasper, and Tariq were faring. Had Mehmed’s attack on the monastery given them the time required to place enough distance between themselves and the Vambir? Had they conserved enough of the concentrated blood in order to enter semi-stasis? Was Kevak still searching for them in the Carpathians, or were they now all making their way back to Bazna?

  He envied Kevak’s faith. His steely determination was mixed with a palpable ethereal peace that he hoped to attain one day.

  Picking up the bio-scanner, he ran it down the length of his body and waited for the readout.

  DNA MAKEUP: VAMBIR 87%

  He let out a joyous laugh. Five days ago it had read 82%.

  Soon I will have harvested the hemo-crops, and my Vambir DNA level will be above 95%. I will rendezvous with Kevak and be reunited with Emanui, Tariq and Jasper. Once armed with freshly charged lasguns, we will be able to eradicate the Vambir menace to humanity and finally set things right.

  He kept these thoughts foremost in his mind as he prepared for the coming harvest.

  ANGUISH

  Carpathian Mountains

  Every night Kevak ventured out to search for the three vampires. With each attempt he had mapped out a new grid search, but so far the bio-scanner had registered nothing. The terrain was too dangerous for J’Vor to accompany him, and this necessitated leaving him alone in the cloaked cave while he searched. For this reason, Kevak limited each search to four hours in order to spend the remaining time with J’Vor. While they were separated, they kept in regular contact through their palmcoms.

  He had taken the precaution of installing a passcode for the cloaked entrance. Although J’Vor was an obedient child, he was also curious, and Kevak would not risk J’Vor putting himself in danger by giving in to his desire to explore.

  Once Kevak retu
rned from each search, he would take J’Vor to locations that were safe for the boy to practice his climbing skills. The view of the cosmos from the Carpathians was stunning, and the telescope became their constant companion during their outings.

  After three weeks he had still found nothing, so Kevak packed up J’Vor and their belongings and set up house in a different cave that would be the epicenter of a new grid search.

  Recognizing the enormity of his task, he understood he would be forced to return to Bazna for more hemo-rations that were hidden in a buried trunk if nothing turned up by the fifth month. If it came to that, then by that time Chaluxi should be waiting for him in Bazna, and they would work out what to do next. If they searched the Carpathians together, they could cover more ground, but this was contingent on Chaluxi being restored to his original Vambir form and free of the blood lust.

  Each night he earnestly prayed to Iam to lead him to the vampires, to bestow comfort on Chaluxi during his recovery, and above all, to keep J’Vor safe.

  At the conclusion of his prayers, he would recite a favorite Bible verse from the book of Psalms that always eased his fears.

  Iam is my shepherd; I have everything I need. He allows me to rest in the green pasture and beside the still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for He is with me. His rod and staff comfort me. He prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies and anoints my head with oil. My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of Iam forever.

  In his utility belt he carried three tubes of hemo-nectar that he would immediately administer to the vampires upon finding them. His plan was for them to receive the hemo-treatment in their own cave until the bio-scanner indicated they were free of the blood cravings. Once that was accomplished, he would introduce them to J’Vor, and together they would head back to Bazna. Each night as he set out to search, he remained optimistic that the bio-scanner would pick up their faint life signs. Each time he returned, he suppressed the bitter disappointment he could feel building up inside him.

  I will find them, but only when Iam is ready. Once before, I doubted Him, and He is now testing my faith. I will not disappoint Him.

  It continued like this for four months. Kevak remained undeterred in his efforts and had changed cave locations twice more. Yet in that time he had only managed to search about 10% of the total area where the trio could be. He steadfastly believed that they were out there somewhere in semi-stasis and refused to even entertain the notion that they had perished before reaching the Carpathians.

  When he awoke shortly after sunset, he began his night as he had every other since arriving in the Carpathians. After consuming a tube of hemo-nectar, he checked his pack: lasgun, palmcom, bio-scanner, and three hemo-nectar tubes. J’Vor was still asleep and would not wake for another two hours. It was an arrangement that worked out nicely, since he would only be in the cave by himself for a few hours until Kevak returned.

  As Kevak began to deactivate the cloak, a loud hum followed by an intense rumbling reverberated through the cave before was he able to complete the passcode. The vibration woke J’Vor, and Kevak was thankful it had happened before he had departed.

  “What is happening?” cried J’Vor.

  “The earth is quaking, my son,” he said, keeping his voice calm. “It is a natural process that relieves built-up pressure beneath the surface and should stop soon.”

  “Please do not leave tonight, Father,” J’Vor pleaded.

  Kevak smiled. “Never fear, I shall remain here with you. Smaller tremors will follow, and it is too dangerous to venture out onto the cliffs.”

  He set his utility belt on his sleep mat and picked up a portable terminal with which to take seismic readings. Completing the passcode, the cloak was disabled, and he watched as the terminal processed the data in order to determine the quake’s epicenter. He was startled when the bio-scanner began to beep.

  The quake has roused the vampires from their semi-stasis! Now that they are animated, the bio-scanner has located their strengthened life signs!

  With joyous anticipation, he removed the bio-scanner from his belt, but as soon as he read the data, he frantically entered the passcode in order to reactivate the cloak.

  *******

  Jasper groaned in pain. A large rock had dislodged from the cave ceiling during the quake and had pinned his leg. Disoriented and weak, he was unable to sit up in order to remove it. Equally disoriented from their violent awakening from semi-stasis, Emanui and Tariq stumbled toward him and pushed together on the rock until Jasper was free.

  “Jasper, are you able to sit up?” asked Tariq.

  Jasper attempted to push himself up using his arms, but the searing pain in his leg overwhelmed him, and he passed out.

  As the cave shook again, more rocks fell from the ceiling. Tariq and Emanui crouched next to Jasper until the tremors stopped. Hearing the sound of breaking glass, Emanui saw that the vial containing the concentrated blood had been crushed by one of the falling rocks.

  “It will dry out soon! We must not waste it!” she cried as she scooped up the precious liquid that had mixed into the dirt.

  Putting some into her mouth, she used her tongue and saliva to carefully filter the nutrients. She felt instantly invigorated. Tariq did the same and put a small scoop into Jasper’s mouth. Within seconds he regained consciousness.

  “We must ingest the rest of it, or it will be lost forever,” Tariq explained to Jasper. “Once the tremors have subsided, we will re-enter semi-stasis, and hopefully this amount will allow us to survive until Chaluxi finds us.”

  Emanui spat out the grit in her mouth and scooped up more for them to ingest.

  Jasper got to his feet and limped around to assess the damage to his leg. As the concentrated blood coursed through his system, the pain diminished.

  “We should not try to enter semi-stasis again until the aftershocks have run their course,” said Jasper. “What does the damage outside look like?”

  Tariq walked to the cave entrance and looked out at the surroundings. “The landscape is too rugged,” he said. “I can’t tell if anything has changed.”

  Emanui lifted her head and sniffed. “I don’t smell anything unusual.”

  Although the spilled concentrated blood had restored their strength, they did not realize its pungent odor had overpowered all other scents, giving them the false impression that they were alone in the region.

  *******

  “Can you smell it!” exclaimed Zof.

  “It’s never been that strong before!” cried Rujah. “Maybe a wandering human fell from a nearby cliff during the quake, and it has opened an artery.”

  “Let’s go find it!” said Klopok. “I’m starving!”

  “No,” insisted Mazja. “The abrupt revival from semi-stasis is why you are experiencing cravings. They will subside. More tremors will be coming, and we must wait until the danger has passed.”

  Klopok walked outside the cave entrance and sniffed. “It’s close, Commander,” he said. “We could fortify ourselves then re-enter semi-stasis for over a year.”

  “Just because the scent is strong that does not mean it is close,” said Mazja. “You want it to be close, so your cravings have convinced your mind that is the case. The scent seems somehow…different.”

  A tremor rumbled through the cave, and small bits of rock rained down on them.

  “Come back inside, Klopok,” said Mazja. “We’ll track the blood scent tomorrow when it is safe to do so. That’s an order.”

  “Yes, Commander,” said Klopok.

  *******

  Kevak prayed to Iam for guidance. The bio-scanner had pinpointed the location of the vampires, but it had also shown that four Vambir were in the vicinity. The quake had served to jolt both groups from semi-stasis. If he did not immediately help the vampires, th
ey would not stand a chance against the Vambir. Their only hope of sanctuary would be behind the cloaked entrance of his cave, but this would mean they would be enclosed with J’Vor, and regardless of what Chaluxi had told him about their noble intentions, their blood cravings would put the child at risk.

  I could put J’Vor into stasis until the vampires have responded to the hemo-treatment. No one could open the pod without the passcode. Yes…that would work.

  Pondering what would happen if he encountered the Vambir, Kevak looked at the lasgun. It had only ever been used to eliminate attacking wolves. He visualized himself killing his own kind, and it sickened him, but if he faltered and was overtaken, J’Vor would be left defenseless. He mentally prepared himself to do what was necessary.

  I will not permit my son to become a Vambir meal!

  There was an easy way out: remain invisible behind the cloak until the danger had passed. The Vambir would kill the vampires and eventually move on. It was tempting…oh, so tempting.

  I cannot do such a thing. I will put my faith in Iam and trust in Him to be my refuge and strength.

  An idea came to him, and he hurriedly worked at the portable terminal then waited for it to upload the program he had designed into the palmcom. After replacing all of the hydrogen cells in the technical equipment with fresh ones, he sat down next to J’Vor.

  “What are the first four prime numbers?” he asked.

  “That’s easy, Father,” replied J’Vor. “One, two, three, and five.”

  “Very good,” said Kevak. “It is the passcode to the cloak. The bio-scanner has located the vampires, and I am going to bring them back here.”

  “Emanui, Tariq, and Jasper will live with us?” he asked excitedly.

  “Iam willing,” Kevak answered. “But there is great danger. Four Vambir with the bloodlust are in the vicinity, and if they find us, they will not hesitate to kill. There is a small chance that I will not be able to return to you here in the cave. For that reason, we need to take the precaution of putting you into stasis. I will set the timer for ten years. If all goes well, I will revive you in a few weeks after the vampires have completed their hemo-treatment. But if the worst happens, the stasis pod will allow you to grow into manhood undetected. Once you are revived, the Vambir will be long gone, and it should be safe for you to leave. At that time, disable the cloak and set out for Africa. Extrapolating your DNA, I programmed a course into the palmcom for you to follow to the region of your origins. The journey will be long and dangerous, but the lasgun will protect you from any beasts you encounter.”