by J. C. Diem
Nodding, I turned to find another fifty or so guards crowded into the hallway. “The show’s over folks,” I told them. Disappointed that they’d missed the kerfuffle, most of them headed back to their posts, exchanging guesses at what had just happened. The two guards who had helped me take down Takeshi remained behind to defend against any further attacks. No other shadow possessed vampires would get past them to attempt to assassinate the emperor.
I stopped in my room long enough to grab the few possessions I might need. Then I hunted down a human servant and asked her to show me to a new room. She gave me a puzzled look but was used to obeying vampires without question.
The room she chose was several twists and turns down various hallways. I gave it a thorough search for hidden doors before ushering her out. I had a feeling I was going to need my rest because tomorrow night was going to be very long indeed.
Chapter Twenty-One
Ishida stared broodingly at one of the torches that burned brightly on the wall. I’d decided to use traditional flame torches for the archaic touch instead of modern battery operated ones. I felt the fire would add to the atmosphere of sheer butchery that was about to occur.
“Takeshi stood at my back for ten millennia,” the kid said. “He could have killed me at any time. Why would he attack me now?” His sense of betrayal was obvious and so was his confusion.
I’d taken up the spot behind his left shoulder that his late bodyguard had so recently vacated. The throne room was empty but for us at the moment but that would soon change. “I think they’ve been waiting for you to turn into one of them.”
He glanced at me askance. “Is that possible?”
“The older we are, the more likely we are to become possessed.” It was only a theory I’d been working on but I was pretty sure I was right.
“So, I could become possessed by my own shadow at any time?” He was horrified by the idea and who could blame him? “I would rather die than become a puppet for the First.”
I was silent for a long moment. “There’s one sure way to tell,” I said.
“How?”
“I can examine your shadow. If it does anything strange then I’ll know you’re one of them.”
Ishida pondered the idea then nodded. He was a tough kid and far braver than I’d have been at his age. His mortal age, that was. “What do I need to do?” he asked.
“Just stand by one of the torches and make sudden, random movements.”
Doubtfully, Ishida stood and ambled over to the nearest torch. For a moment, he simply stood there. Then he broke out into a series of dance moves he’d learned from watching TV. His shadow whirled, twirled, bent, bobbed and spun around on the wall along with him in perfect unison. Unless it was the cleverest sentient shadow I’d ever seen, he was fine.
I applauded when he was done. “Awesome moves, Emperor.” He gave a slight bow then a questioning look. “You’re shadow is ok,” I told him and read the relief on his face before it became an inscrutable mask again.
With an almost inaudible sigh, Ishida sat on his throne. He knew it had to be done but he didn’t relish the idea of weeding out the damned from within his kingdom. Bowing his head, he gave me a slight nod. “Let it be done.”
Now it was all up to me and I wasn’t looking forward to this any more than he was. Jogging to the closed doors, I cracked one open. The corridor outside was jam packed with vampires. Every undead creature on the island had been ordered to take their turn standing before their emperor. I’d toured through the small stone city below and there had to be several hundred vampires and three times as many humans. At least the humans would be spared the culling that was about to commence.
“Sort yourselves in order from oldest to youngest. Then come in ten at a time,” I said and a great shuffling commenced.
When the first ten were ready, I let them file inside. The two guards I was already sure of closed the door tight. The female gave me a slight nod. They would prevent anyone else from entering.
“Line up against the wall,” I directed the group. The torches had been set up so there was just enough room for one vampire a piece to stand between them.
As they followed my instructions, their shadows showed up starkly on the rock wall behind them. A glance from the corner of my eye was enough to condemn five of them straight away. Twisted, slump-shouldered and huge, the shadows didn’t seem to realize that I saw them for what they were. This reassured me that they couldn’t communicate telepathically. Two on the end turned to have a muted conversation that was silent to everyone but me. They were uneasy and maybe even had an inkling of what I was up to. I’d have to work quickly so they wouldn’t have a chance to revolt.
Ishida lifted an eyebrow in query as I returned to him. I lifted a hand and indicated that I’d seen five of the First’s spawn already. Taking up my spot just behind Ishida, I told the vamps to begin practicing their sword work.
Another three shadows gave themselves away from lack of concentration or from simple arrogance. That made eight out of ten traitors in the first batch. I wasn’t very surprised. If these were the oldest vamps on the island then they were very old indeed. Pointing out the two who were normal, I told them to move aside.
Ishida stared at each of the remaining eight one by one. Some dropped their gazes in shame, indicating they knew something was wrong with them even if they didn’t know exactly what it was. The others looked back at him blankly. “You have been identified as being tainted by the First,” Ishida said quietly. “If you have any honour left, I suggest you exercise it now.”
Two vamps moved so quickly that their shadows didn’t have time to possess them. Enough of their vampire selves remained to know that they were doomed. They chose to end their lives at their own hands. Each pulled a small throwing knife from their belts and jammed it into their hearts. As they sank to their knees, their shadows beat at the air and tore their hair in despair. Before the pair had turned to watery slush, the six remaining shadows burst forth to possess their hosts. Then they went on the attack.
While the emperor sat on the throne with his chin resting on a fist, the two un-possessed guards and I took down the six remaining. The fight was short but vicious. The shadows didn’t have much practice possessing their masters so their fighting skills were no match for ours.
Shaken at being attacked by their fellow guards, the two surviving vamps exchanged glances. “What is going on?” one asked me.
“War,” I replied shortly. There would be time for explanations after this grisly ordeal was over.
As I’d predicted, it was a long night. Not all of the old vampires had become the damned but a lot of them had been. I was glad but unsurprised when my instructor passed the test. I’d have noticed it months ago if he’d been possessed. My teacher stood staunchly by my side during the next few hours, stepping in when he felt it was necessary and cutting down the damned that slipped through my guard. His face remained a blank mask but I sensed his pain each time he ended the lives of his kin.
My teacher wasn’t the only one suffering. Ishida seemed to shrink with each death until he looked like a little old man hunched over on the throne. The seer showed up just when I thought the kid couldn’t take any more of the slaughter. She stood to the emperor’s right with a hand on his shoulder. He seemed to take strength from her and sat up straighter.
I thought the First’s offspring would begin tapering off sharply as the age of the remaining vampires decreased. It was disturbing when the shadows of vampires only a few hundred years old panicked and attacked when they were discovered. They were too weak to possess their owners but they still took swipes at me.
My least favourite part of that purge was killing the vampires who had no idea they would one day be taken over by their shadows. The last one was a female vampire who sobbed tearlessly when I pointed to her. On the wall, her silhouette was quaking, shaking its head and wringing its hands. “How old are you?” I asked her. My sword dripped black blood to the tiled floor tha
t had become dangerously slippery with the acidic fluid by now.
“F-f-fifty, mistress,” she replied shakily.
Closing my eyes, I shook my head. Ishida wasn’t the only one who had aged this night. I felt at least five thousand years old. My hands knew what to do and my sword sliced into her heart. Her death was quick and merciful but not painless. The young vampire died with a puzzled, terrified look in her still mostly brown eyes. My instructor looked away from me. It was the only sign he gave of how he felt about this night’s work. He didn’t have to say anything for me to feel his distress and disappointment.
“Is it done?” Ishida asked hoarsely.
I nodded then knelt to clean my sword. Clothing and dropped weapons littered the floor along with the stains that were the remains of the fallen. We were in a battleground minus only the bodies. All we needed were circling vultures to make the scene of mass murder complete.
The remaining vampires were crowded against the walls as far from me as they could get. From the first surviving pair to the last, they had all borne witness to the slaughter.
“It is time to tell your people the truth, Emperor Ishida,” the seer said gently. The kid might not know it, but it was an order from his master and he was helpless to disobey her.
Raising his head, Ishida gazed at the remnants of his army. A rough count told me that barely two hundred were left. If the oracle hadn’t been there to back me up, I think Ishida might have tried to kill me with his bare hands hours ago. The blind vampire had foreseen this as well as what their future would be without my arrival. They would have all ended up as slaves to the First. Kokoro had carved their past and possible future into the rocks thousands of years before Ishida had been born and knew I was their only chance of survival.
“For all of our long lives we have been told that the Europeans were our enemies,” Ishida said into the silence. “We were told that none could be trusted and all should be destroyed.” Nods of agreement met his statement. “This is not true.” His words had the shuffling and muted whispers stilling. “The real enemies have just been culled from our midst.”
“What were they, Emperor Ishida?” a brave soul called out.
“They were the tainted offspring of the First,” Ishida replied softly. “The blood of our Father has infected many of us. Those affected are known as ‘the damned’,” he mourned. Murmurs of disturbed recognition sounded. The European legend had spread far and wide, it seemed. “Thanks to Mortis, we have now been cleansed.”
Looks shifted back to me and they weren’t particularly friendly or grateful for my intervention. Most were still confused about why they’d had to kill their kin even when their kin had attacked first.
“The creature who gave its blood to the First had a far reaching plan to take over the earth,” the seer said. “It’s blood gave life to our shadows. Over time, they became sentient and eventually gained the ability to possess us.”
“I saw Takeshi turn into a devil,” the female guard who had backed me up said. The guy who’d been with her at the time nodded in agreement. “We heard his shadow speak through him.”
All knew the bodyguard had been mute and the statement was met with astonished expressions. A short, intense babble erupted and was cut off when the emperor held up his hand. “Natalie Pierce came to us for help. She asked that we train her so that she could accomplish her task of fighting the First’s spawn. In return, I asked only that she free my kingdom of the damned. I know now that every man and woman on this island is loyal and trustworthy.”
All bowed at the honour, deeply moved by his words. The blind eyes of Kokoro sought me out and she smiled. She at least thought that my job here was done. Frankly, I’d be relieved to go. Staying amongst the people I’d forced to turn on their own would be uncomfortable. They tried to hide their resentment but I’d learned to read their expressionless faces to some degree.
“This will be Natalie’s last night with us,” Ishida said and a feeling of relief swept through the room. Even my instructor was happy with this news. Maybe more so than anyone else since he’d taught me the skills I’d just used to decimate his fellow guards. “She leaves with the thanks of myself and of my people.” As one, they bowed to me deeply. Resentful or not, they were unfailingly courteous. I bowed back then the survivors began filing out.
Kokoro motioned to me and I moved to meet her. She waited until everyone had left, all except for the child king. Ishida sat on this throne and I was pretty sure he was close to tear-less sobs. “Unfortunately, not all of our soldiers obeyed the order to come before their emperor,” she said softly.
“Can you estimate how many got away?” I asked.
“Over twenty but less than forty.” The news wasn’t great but it could have been worse. “I am afraid your task has only just begun, Natalie,” Kokoro said to me quietly.
“I know. I have to track down the Court’s Councillors and find out where the First is hiding.” I grimaced at the tasks before me.
“You face many battles ahead but you will not face them alone.”
She’d told me this four months ago yet still hadn’t told me who my army would consist of. “Don’t worry, we’ll kick their butts,” I said airily. Deep down, I still strongly suspected I’d be facing the battle as a solo act. I’d have countless imps to fight my way through before I could even get close to the First. I didn’t need to be an oracle myself to know that.
“I have a gift for you before you leave,” Ishida said. “It was Kokoro’s idea but I made a few modifications.” With a mysterious smile, he motioned for us to follow him.
We headed down a corridor I’d never been in before. It ended in a door that was guarded by two female vamps. They bowed to their emperor, gave me twin filthy looks, then one of them opened the door. Inside was a collection of armour, possibly dating back to the beginning of vampirekind. All were encased in protective glass. Some were so aged that they were in tatters. The newer ones were in pristine condition, except for tears in the fabric from sharp weapons. They were in all shapes and sizes, to fit the various physiques of their owners.
One piece in particular caught my eye and I moved in for a closer look. The man who’d worn it must have been close to seven feet tall. Wicked spikes jutted out from the shoulders, elbows, knuckles and knees. It was made of bronze and had several stab wounds in the chest area.
“This armour belonged to our fallen Emperors and greatest warriors,” Ishida explained. “Kokoro has preserved them as a record of our greatness.”
I snuck a look at the seer but she averted her face. I thought it was more likely that she’d gathered them as a reminder of our ultimate mortality. Even the undead would eventually die, no matter how powerful they were.
“What do you think of that one?” Ishida pointed to a leather suit that had been set off to one side. Apart from the colour, it looked a lot like the uniform the guards all wore. Instead of being encased behind glass, it sat on a dummy.
I was entranced from the moment my eyes touched it. Blood-red instead of black, it had the usual belt around the waist full of throwing knives but a couple of changes had been made. A raised band covered the chest and back. Metal had been inlaid into the suit that would stop most thrown projectiles.
A second band of metal about two inches wide was around the dummy’s neck. It was a plain but functional piece that had been designed to thwart decapitation. “I like it but isn’t it a bit…girly?” The chest area had definite curves even with the band of metal running across it.
“It should be. It’s yours.” He grinned when my mouth dropped open. “I know stakes, spears and swords through the heart don’t kill you but you can never be too careful.”
“I’m particularly impressed with the neck band.”
“It would be hard to fight without a head, even for you,” he slid a sly look at me.
A red mask covered the dummy’s blank face. It triggered something in my memory that was gone almost instantly. It was the coolest outfit I’d ever
seen and it was all mine.
“Thank you, Emperor Ishida. And you also, Kokoro.” I bowed to them both as was customary then the kid surprised me with a hug.
“I wish you didn’t have to go,” he whispered. “This place will be no fun without you.” He was near tears again. He might be ten thousand years old but, deep down, he’d always be a teenager.
Patting him on the back, I felt a lump form in my throat. “I wish I didn’t have to leave either but you heard Kokoro, I have a job to do. It’s my destiny.” I’d learned that destiny couldn’t be avoided, not even when running away from it. It always dragged you back, kicking and screaming to face it again.
Regaining his dignity, Ishida put on his inscrutable emperor’s mask again. “Kokoro has arranged for your departure when you rise tomorrow night.” After a long moment, he gave me a final short bow. “Goodbye, Natalie Pierce.”
“See ya, Emperor.” His back was stiff as he left the armoury. I had a feeling he’d console himself with a few of his harem girls tonight.
Kokoro helped me strip the suit from the dummy. She might be blind but her hands moved deftly enough. I sensed she was disturbed and sent her an enquiring glance that she felt rather than saw.
“The measures you took tonight to cleanse our kingdom will come to naught unless you move swiftly.” She kept her voice low, barely a whisper so the guards at the door couldn’t overhear her.
“What do you mean?” I had a fair idea what her answer would be but maybe I needed to hear her say it out loud.
“That last vampire was barely fifty. She was practically still a baby yet her shadow had already turned evil.”
“And?” I wished she would get to the point. I was still covered in vampire ooze and desperately wanted to take a bath.
“That means any of the newer vampires could become damned at any time. Without you here to expose them, there is no guarantee that the Emperor will remain safe.” Kokoro was as worried as any mother would have been about her son.
“As soon as I leave here, I’m heading straight for France,” I reassured her. “I’ll track down the Comtesse and her cronies and find out where the First is.” Then I’d have the daunting task of attempting to kill him. Just how I was going to pull that off was still in question.