The Veil

by Stuart Meczes

  One of Lightwardens was on his own, being circled by three of the creatures. “This way!” I shouted and we all ran over to help. I jumped high into the air, turning and coming down so hard that I cut entire creature in half. At the same time Delagio rugby tackled another creature and took it down. He held out his hand and telepathically snatched up a gunpike, which was still clutched in the hand of a dead Lightwarden. He spun it around and fired into the creature’s chest over and over until it turned to rock, just as both halves of mine had done. Hollie fired an arrow at the third and it flew through the air, one of its heads pinned to a crate. It thrashed around, ripping the container from its supports and littering supplies everywhere. Danny followed up by sprinting towards it and using Penance to vault himself into the air and coming down in an overhead arc that tore it to pieces.

  “Thanks,” breathed the Lightwarden as we helped him to his feet.

  At that moment something thudded hard against the bow of the warship, knocking us all off our feet. I watched in awe as a tidal wave rose up in front of us, breaking away to reveal the largest creature I had ever seen. It had nine heads, each covered in shimmering black scales and a body that was easily the size of a skyscraper. Its wingspan was wider than anything I had ever seen and it used its leathery appendages to wrap around the sides of I’orin, pulling the warship closer. It tilted its nine heads back and let out a collective roar that rolled over us like a shockwave.

  That can’t be what I think it is…can it?

  “What the fuck is that?” said Hollie, her arms falling to her side in shock.

  It was the Delagio who replied to her, his voice full of absolute and pure fear.

  “That is a Hydra.”

  24

  Scarlett

  We travelled in complete silence until we reached the Darklands. Mikey’s face was tight with emotion as he rode next to me, and when I reached out at one point to touch a hand to his, he barely registered the contact. I knew without asking that he was thinking about Alex, travelling in the opposite direction, heading towards God knows what, just as we were. In the seven months I had known the brothers, I had watched their relationship blossom from a wary alliance to the kind of bond that rarely exists outside of those bound by blood. Mikey’s concern for Alex made me think of my own brother, Connor, long since dead and buried, and a deep sadness coiled through my stomach. Time heals all wounds…unless you are immortal. A fixed point in the revolving cycle of life, forced to perpetually continue. Then time becomes a thing to despise - a constant reminder of everything you once had, now gone.

  The convoy had travelled eastward after disembarking from one of the nimble sailboats at a beach coated in a film of dark oil, which had leaked from a number of rusting tanks. The stench of gasoline had been overwhelming to my heightened senses and I’d had to spend the entire ride along the beach – into a tundra-like area of flatlands filled with poisonous shrubs and diseased pools of water – ceasing my breath. Like my now fallen mentor Larik, I’d always chosen to breathe because it made me feel more human, but at that moment I’d been glad it was an option rather than a requirement.

  Beyond the other Guardians, Highwarden Caria had supported us with two Lightwardens mounted on Unicorns, and twenty Vengeful – who rode beautiful horses the colour of sand and half the size of their otherworldly counterparts. In addition, the Highwarden had given us two stone Gargoyles that somehow managed to fly through the air with the grace of eagles. The Lightwardens were named Elissa, a tall Pixie with a crystalline voice and a shock of silver hair that poked out the bottom rim of her helmet; and Udan, a hard looking Elf with an almost perfect X-shaped scar running from the corners of his eyes to the edges of his mouth. The Vengeful all looked different to one another, but somehow almost the same – their blank expressions giving them absolutely no identity beyond the collective. I had seen a similar thing on the faces of nested Vampires, and looking at them made me feel a little uncomfortable.

  It was Lightwarden Udan who broke the lengthy silence first, announcing our imminent arrival to the new area in his baritone cadence. We reached the edge of the flatlands, which overlooked a massive valley below and I realised he shouldn’t have bothered speaking; it was obvious to anyone with eyes where we were.

  The Darklands were well named.

  I pulled Picera’s reigns tight, slowing the Unicorn mare to a halt and stared down in disbelief at the mass of low hanging darkness covering the entire valley. It was almost like a living shadow, stretching and rolling around itself and blanketing everything as far as the eye could see in absolute blackness. Even if the two suns had been at their brightest, there was no way that their light could have penetrated.

  So this is where Vampires originated. Where they were first born and evolved into the sun-allergic, night-hunting creatures that they are. Where ancestors of the species first developed the poison they use to incapacitate their victims, the poison that created hybrid Bloodlings. The poison that created me.

  “I can say with absolute confidence that from what I’ve heard this is going to be one of my least favourite places,” said Iralia, bringing Winow up close to us and settling her with a gentle pat to the side of her neck.

  “You’ve never been here before?” I asked.

  “No dear. I’m not insane.”

  “We should head down, Huntmaster Reid,” said Lightwarden Elissa. “But before we do, I would suggest that you assume control of the Protectors.” She gestured up at the swirling Gargoyles.

  I nodded. “Let’s all get prepared.” I slipped off Picera’s back onto the dusty ground and opened one of the many satchels that had been tied to her flank. I pulled out two canisters filled with human blood and threw one to Mikey, who caught it one handed and unscrewed the lid, taking a long swig. Almost instantly his grey eyes illuminated until they became shimmering silver discs. I drank from my own canister while the others checked their weapons and drank water and other substances. The Vengeful didn’t move, didn’t ask for anything and it was then that I realised that they had no supplies of their own, just their armour and weapons.

  “They have been travelling for hours, they need to drink something too,” I said to the Lightwardens.

  “That isn’t necessary,” replied Lightwarden Elissa. “They have been trained to survive off barely anything.”

  “War is their nourishment,” added Lightwarden Udan.

  “No, said Sophia, “Food and water is their nourishment.”

  “Give them something to drink,” I said.

  “These are our supplies, we need-” started Udan.

  “Did Highwarden Aegis Caria put me in charge of this unit?” I asked.

  “Yes, but not at a cost to ourselves,” replied Udan with a note of scorn to his voice.

  “Can they drink water?” said Sophia.

  “Of course,” replied Lightwarden Elissa.

  Sophia leaned over and opened a satchel on Freyala’s side and pulled out two large canisters from her own supplies. She threw them both to me. “Then give them these. I can use an incantation to produce a bit more if we need it.”

  I gave her a smile of thanks and then handed a canister up to the first of the Vengeful, a smaller boy who couldn’t have been more than thirteen in human years. “Drink as much as you need and no more. Then pass it on.” The boy looked up at the Lightwardens, as if waiting for approval. “You don’t need to look at them. Drink.” The boy stared at the canister for a moment and then bought it to his dry lips, his eyes closing as he took a gulp. He wiped his mouth and then passed it on. I moved to the back of the rank and handed the second bottle up to the last Vengeful and repeated my instructions. They all drank, for the first time looking like true individuals as they each broke their uniformed stillness. I waited until they had finished and then collected up the canisters, both of which still had at least half their contents still inside. I threw them back to Sophia, who returned them to her satchel.

  “You will make them weak,” warned Udan, lowering
his own drink from his lips.

  I shrugged. “I’d prefer them weak than dead from dehydration.”

  The two Lightwardens glanced at each other for a moment, but said nothing. I pointed up to where the two Gargoyles were circling overhead, like birds of prey waiting to pounce. “Bring them down please.”

  Lightwarden Elissa did nothing for a moment, and it was only when I narrowed my eyes at her that she finally raised her hand. “Dilarah.” Descend.

  The Gargoyles dropped like stones, landing nearby with enough force that I could feel the tremors in my feet. I walked over and stared up at the large stone creature, the top of my head only reaching its stomach. With a sound like a rock being dragged over gravel, it bowed down until it was on all fours, its stone claws digging into the dirt.

  “Will this work? I’m a Vampire. Sage Faru could never mind merge with me before.”

  “It works differently. The Elders have combined strength, which although it still won’t allow them to see deep into your mind, will allow them to skim the surface. The Protectors have already been given approval to follow your commands, they just need to confirm that you are who you say you are.”

  I took a deep breath and stepped close to the hulking creature. I could hear a deep dragging sound coming from deep within and a faint mist curling from between its great jaws. It’s actually a living creature….more so than Sage Faru’s Golems. My mind was running with questions. Can they think and feel? Can Sage Faru create these too, or did he lose that ability too when he left the other Elders and came to Earth? It was quite surprising how little I actually knew about the man who had taken me under his wing and whose ward I had become, all those years ago when I had been a scared newborn.

  I realised everyone was waiting for me, so I removed the thoughts from my mind and bought my attention back to the present. Reaching out gingerly, I took hold of the sides of the Gargoyle’s coiled horns and pressed my forehead against its own. It was cold and smooth – as I expected – and its breath, which poured over my face smelled like damp soil. Soon after we connected, I felt a tickling sensation in the space between my eyes followed by a surge of energy that rushed through my head and made my ears pop. The creature cranked backwards onto its hind legs and let out a guttural sound. Then it stamped back down and stared at me with its large red eyes.

  “Is that it?” I said, turning around.

  “That’s it,” said Lightwarden Elissa. “Give it a command. The Protector will understand you.”

  I turned back around. If I had a beating heart, it would have been pounding with adrenaline. “Fly,” I whispered. Instantly the Gargoyle pounced off its rear legs and took to the sky, circling over us like it had before.

  “Oh my god, that is wicked!” breathed Mikey. “Can I take control of one?”

  “The Gargoyle Protectors are the noble patrons of the Elders, creatures of immense power and ability,” said Lightwarden Udan with a look of irritation. “They are not toys to be played with.”

  “Well you’re going to be fun to spend a week with,” retorted Mikey. “And besides, it’s not up to you is it?” He turned to me, an expectant look on his face.

  It would actually make me feel a lot better if he had something with this much power at his command. It would help keep him safer, and I promised Alex I would do everything I could to keep him safe.

  “Will a Gargoyle serve him if he merges with it?” I asked Lightwarden Elissa.

  She shifted uncomfortably on her Unicorn. “Well yes, all of you have been given permission to control them…but that was intended in case you were killed or seriously injured.”

  “Did the Elders say specifically that they had to serve me first?”

  “Well no…”

  I turned to Mikey. “Will you take it seriously?” I asked.

  “Scarlett, are you kidding me?”

  “I am deadly serious.”

  “Of course I will,” he said with a frown. “I’m not an idiot.” He gestured around at the veil of darkness behind him. “I am well aware that this isn’t a joke.”

  “Guardians, do any of you mind?” I said.

  “Nope,” said Iralia.

  “If it would assist Guardian Wilson on the mission, then approval is given,” said Aran.

  “Midnight is all I need,” said Sophia.

  “Then okay,” I conceded.

  Mikey gave such an excited grin that I couldn’t help but smile. He practically jumped off Shariel and rushed over to the Gargoyle. Soon afterwards he had assumed control of the stone beast, and had it sailing in the sky next to mine.

  “Are the Guardians of Orion always so unorthodox?” said Lightwarden Udan as I climbed back onto Picera.

  “Yes,” I replied. “It’s what keeps us alive.”

  *

  The shadow of the Darklands swallowed us whole like a demonic mouth.

  The blackness was oppressive, wrapping around our bodies like a second skin and pouring down our throats. The smell of the area was nauseating, like burning rubber tyres coated in sulfur. I was a Vampire, the night was when I came alive, when my senses worked their best, but even I took a while to adjust to the dense darkness, which was more than just black. It was the total absence of light, a supernatural black hole where nothing reflected, nothing escaped. I activated the torch on the Biomote, but the light couldn’t breach the unit, the darkness simply devoured it. Those who could not see in the dark - the Lightwardens, Vengeful, Aran and Sophia - had to put on put special goggles that allowed them to see, and the Unicorns and horses had dark hoods put over their heads – the eyeholes covered with the same substance as the glasses. Midnight had turned into an owl, but it was still clearly too dark for him to navigate and he made uncomfortable squeaks of distress until Sophia whispered an incantation that allowed him to see in the dark. As she performed the spell I noticed – with a lurch of my stomach – the shallow lines of pale crow’s feet appear at the corners of her eyes.

  The Darklands themselves were little more than a basin of dirt and mossy grass, filled with clusters of jagged rocks and sporadic trees that arched over like the elderly, dangling long and clearly poisonous vines. The trees seemed to feed off the darkness; their trunks and branches weaved with veins that pulsed with dark ink. Close to the point where we had entered, I noticed a rusting sign, most of its surface covered with a dark, pulsing moss. I guided Picera towards it and used a rag from my supplies to wipe it away, leaving a dark smear in its wake. It was written in the Qi’lern language, which – unlike its spoken variant – was still firmly out of my grasp.

  “What does that say?” I asked Sophia.

  “It says, ‘Warning, hostile area. To access the multi-route Lightrail cargo system head north as fast and quietly as possible. Do not engage with any flora, fauna or species residing in this area. Good luck.”

  “Good luck? Sounds great,” Mikey said sarcastically. He glanced at Lightwarden Udan. “And what convinced the Luminar it was safe to build a rail system here?”

  “We had tanks.”

  He nodded. “Fair enough.”

  The convoy travelled in a long column, the Vengeful leading the way and the Gargoyles gliding silently above us. We navigated the savage landscape with care, avoiding any tall patches of grass and giving the odd trees as much of a wide birth as possible. The Unicorn and horses’ movements were tentative – their instincts warning them that this was a bad place.

  My instincts were doing the same.

  Soon the walls of the Darklands started to close in around us as the area narrowed into a teardrop shape. The looming, grey cliffs on each side were sheer and pot-marked by countless cave entrances. In my time as a Bloodling, I had come to understand Vampires – even the Pandemonian ones to a degree. I was sure that we were seeing countless individual Hivemind nests, all linked via a complex network of tunnels that wrapped around each other and connected in a hundred different ways. Almost like looking inside a giant ant’s nest.

  For a predator it was efficient.
For prey it was deadly.

  However, the tunnel system also scratched at the suspicious part of my mind, creating a concerning question. Wild Bloodseekers and their Hiveminds are normally only tolerant of their own kin. So why would they choose to put themselves in such close proximity to one another? Unless… It was then that I looked closer in the small nooks of the path we were traveling down and saw the remnants of death hidden among the shadows. The phalange bones of a hand, a scattering of teeth, the shattered jawbone that the teeth had once belonged to.

  …This area isn’t just a home; it’s a mass hunting ground.

  My fangs slipped down from my gums instinctually as my fight or flight instinct activated beyond my control – warning me something was coming. Next to me Mikey’s had descended as well, but he was cupping a hand over his mouth, frowning with confusion. He feels it too; he’s just too young to trust his instincts yet.

  “We need to go. Now!” I hissed. The message swept down the convoy. Hooves started to drum against the dirt as we burst into gallops. At the same time the invisible threat made itself known. Hundreds of faces appeared from the darkness of the caves, the blank expressions of nested Bloodlings, their tattered clothes revealing the countless eras they had been stolen from – dragged through the Veil to serve as faithful watchdogs.

  A series of loud hisses escaped the Bloodlings’ throats and then they surged towards us, tumbling right over the narrow edges of the cliffs and landing with sickening crunches on the ground behind us. They rose to their feet and surged forward as a series of humanoid waves, rushing behind us as we charged forward. The Vengeful fell back and created a protective line at our rear, but I wasn’t about to let children fight my battles for me.