by Lisa Randall
After hearing our names, Augustine seemed to think on something. “If I remember correctly, Rai, you have been here before.” Rai nodded. “And so what brings you back to our fair city? Starting to feel lonely out there? Ready to come in out of the cold?” Rai didn’t say anything. Augustine’s gaze fell to me, and I swear he was looking at me like a piece of meat. “And you, my dear, we have not had the pleasure of meeting before, am I correct?” I nodded. Everything about this guy seemed to get under my skin for some reason I couldn’t explain. Augustine headed towards us, looking at me. “Well, let us have a look at you.” He said.
I stepped forward and he began to circle around me, as if inspecting me like an animal. I fought to control the eerie feeling I was getting from him. When he was done circling me like a vulture, he stepped back and bowed, taking my hand into his and giving it a light kiss. I tried not to cringe as a cold feeling went over the spot he had kissed. “A pleasure to meet you, Miss Helen.” He said with a grin.
Something moved above us and I looked up to see the statue from before was crawling its way down the building, jumping the last few feet to land beside Augustine. Now that it was closer, I could make out more of its detail. It was a beautiful creature, with large bat-like wings, long dark fangs and talons, a beautiful tail with a tuft of fur at the end, and even a few scales were visible on its rock-like skin. Then I met its eyes. They were a beautiful deep red, which contrasted with his black onyx skin. He looked like a piece of art, a statue brought to life. I noticed I had been staring after Rai gave me a slight nudge in the arm. I looked to Augustine and gave him a nervous smile. “This is my pet, Red.” He said, motioning to the gargoyle. The gargoyle just stared ahead at us, but I could sense the intelligence to it that Augustine didn’t want us to know about. By referring him to a pet, it showed that he looked down to him. I looked at Red and gave him a sympathetic smile. He noticed and I thought I saw a flicker of light in his eyes as he looked at me.
“Red has been with me for many years.” Augustine said proudly. “He makes sure things are in order around here, there are so many of us here, you see. He and his kind help to keep squabbles at bay, and to keep intruders out. They do as I say, like good little pets should.” He said, petting Red on the head. I got the feeling that Red didn’t like being called a pet, or being touched, as his tail kept swishing back in forth in a way that reminded me of an angry cat. Red was sitting on his hind legs, which made his head stop around the middle of Augustine’s chest. I’m sure that if he were to stand at his full height, he would be close to eight feet tall.
“He’s beautiful.” I said. I couldn’t take my eyes off of Red. Something about him seemed to call out to me, but I couldn’t tell what. Red just stared ahead, tail flicking back and forth. Augustine took his hand off of Red’s head, and the tail stopped twitching. I tried to hide a smile.
“I believe I asked you a question, Rai.” Augustine said.
“We have been on the outside for a long time, Augustine. We felt it was time to come home.” Rai answered. “If you allow it, of course.” We had to see the rest of the city, to see if any more humans were being kept here.
Augustine appeared to think for a moment and then seemed to come to a conclusion. He smiled at us and spread his arms wide, saying “Of course, of course! You are always welcome here, Rai. As are you, Helen. I look forward to catching up with both of you, but that will have to wait until another time, I think. I have business to take care of tonight, and you must be tired. Claudia, please show Rai and his companion to a room. Show them around the city tomorrow night, many things have changed since Rai was last here, I’m sure he is eager to see them.” Augustine turned and left us there with Claudia, Red flying back up to the roof of the building before us.
Claudia cleared her throat and said “Follow me.” She led us to a nearby building that looked like it lead to an underground building; it looked similar to a crypt. We entered a long hallway, the walls lined with doors every few feet, indicating different rooms. I tried to repress a shudder at the thought of going down there. I spent too much time underground while I slept, and I wasn’t looking forward to going down there again. “There are many rooms here, we built this as a sort of underground hotel. None of them are really assigned to anyone, but some claim certain rooms for themselves. Feel free to find an empty one anywhere you like.” She didn’t seem too pleased at Augustine giving her this task, as she turned and left us, stomping her feet back up the stairs.
We chose the nearest empty room we could find, Rai sensing for any thoughts in other rooms to see if they were occupied. Rai said just about every room had been taken by another vampire. There had to be hundreds of rooms, the hallway seemingly endless, and a set of stairs leading further down, possibly to even more rooms. We entered the room and the first thing I noticed was that it was either soundproof or protected somehow. I hadn’t realized before entering the room, but I was feeling the auras of the other vampires, each one was as cold as ice. As soon as we closed the door to the room, I couldn’t feel them anymore. Rai also had a look on his face that said he noticed it too. I didn’t want to think about why they felt the need to silence the room, and moved to sit on the bed.
The bed was huge, and I noticed the sheets were silk. I wondered again at how in this age they were able to keep the city modern with electricity and now silk sheets. I looked to Rai and he just shrugged. I guess there are some things even he doesn’t know. I lay on the bed, not bothering to take my shoes off. I felt uneasy being here, and I wanted to be prepared for anything. Rai seemed to feel the same, and lay down next to me. We just lay there for a moment, enjoying the soft bed. After what seems like forever sleeping on the hard ground outside, being on a bed indoors seemed odd.
After a while, I could hear Rai fall asleep. I couldn’t sleep. Being here made me antsy and uncomfortable, I had to walk around. It felt like it could be daylight by now, so I quietly left the room to go for a stroll. As far as I know, the other vampires are unable to walk in the daylight, so I didn’t have to worry about being found by one of them. I wondered if the gargoyles were active at night. I only knew about them from legends, how they turned to stone during the daytime, and come alive at night. I wondered if those legends were true, and if a gargoyle found me, would it tell Augustine I could walk around in the daytime? For some reason, I didn’t like the idea of him knowing anything about me. I had a feeling I would be needing the element of surprise when it came to him.
I opened the door leading outside, wanting to get a better look at the city. Closing the door behind me as quietly as possible, I looked around. The sun had just started to come up, so I would have plenty of time to look around. I spotted a gargoyle on a roof nearby and watched it, looking to see if it moved or not. After a few minutes it hadn’t moved, so I continued on; but I could have sworn its eyes gleamed in the light. I made a note of where the underground hotel was, so I could find my way back if I had to. I walked around for a few blocks, there was nothing moving at all. Everything was silent; it was like a ghost town. I noticed there were shops along the streets, but these shops didn’t seem to fit in with the overall look of the city.
Peering into the nearest window of a shop that was advertised as a restaurant, it looked normal enough. I went inside, wondering what kinds of food the vampires ate. I had thought they only drank blood, but then again I didn’t know very much about other vampires. My diet was almost non-existent, since I didn’t need blood, so I was curious. The door opened and I winced as a tiny bell rang, announcing my entry. Did they really need that bell or did some vampire have a sense of humor? I stood there, waiting to see if anyone had heard me. When no one came, I let out a breath. Walking over to the nearest table, I picked up a menu. What I read was appalling. All of the items listed were human body parts, or blood types. They didn’t seem to have a money system here, as none of the items were priced. I couldn’t imagine someone actually wanting some of the things on the menu. I quickly put the menu down and raced out the
door, not bothering to be quiet. I had to get out of there, the entire place creeped me out, and a sense of anger swelled inside me. It felt similar to the feeling I got when I faced off with Pandora, but it slowly faded instead of building like before.
I started walking as far away from the restaurant as fast as I could; trying not to throw up at the thought of human body parts being on a menu like it was a normal thing. Something moved in the corner of my eye, but as I turned to look at it, it was gone. This place was starting to get to me. Now that I was further away from that place, I dared to look in the other buildings. They all resembled the downtown part of a city, shops were everywhere, and there was the town square again. I had somehow gone around the city, getting close to where I began. The other shops appeared to be clothing stores of various types, libraries, and some that looked like a pawn shop or a trading post of some kind. The clothing in the stores varied from era to era; there were Victorian shops, Renaissance shops, western, space, and even costume shops from different eras, all offering a wide variety of clothes. I wondered where all of these clothes came from. The werewolves and humans all wore rags, while these vampires seemed to have an endless supply.
Standing in the middle of the street, I heard a noise again. It was the same as before, moving just out of sight when I tried to look for it. Getting nervous, I moved behind the nearest building. I waited a few moments, but nothing happened. As I turned to leave, I heard another noise. This time it was a different type of noise. Turning around, I saw a small shed like building. There were bars on the windows, showing it was some sort of cell. I looked inside and saw humans. There were about a dozen of them, all different ages and sizes, and all of them were dirty and injured as if they had been beaten. When they saw me in the window, they all moved to one corner of the small room. I felt the anger rise within me seeing these humans treated this way. It was similar to the feeling I had when facing Pandora, but stronger. I took a step back to find the door. It was bolted shut with a huge padlock and chains keeping it securely shut. Reaching out, I grabbed the lock and pulled at it until it broke off, chains falling to the ground. Unbolting the door, I opened it and stood aside, waiting for the humans to escape. After a moment, no one moved. They were either too scared to move or they had given up ever escaping. I went inside.
Motioning to the nearest human, a small child, I motioned that it was okay for them to leave. When no one moved, I kneeled down on the ground, staring at them. “You are free now. Leave this place. Go north until you meet two women. They will help you. One is a witch, the other a shifter-witch. They will help you heal and find a safe place to live. I promise. You must go as far as you can during the day, before they wake up.” I pleaded with them. The first to leave were the children. They looked pale, like they had never seen the sun before. All of the humans wore rags, and looked like they had just been thrown in the room and forgotten about for who knows how long. After the children stepped outside, the women followed, then the men. I stayed where I was, not moving, not wanting to scare them anymore than they already were. I heard them all leave the way I had shown them, hoping they made it to Alice and Selena in one piece.
I stepped outside, opening my senses to find any other humans. Sensing no more, I started to find my way back to where Rai still slept. Before I could get two steps, I heard that noise again. Looking around, I didn’t see anything. I had a thought. Looking up, I saw a pair of red gleaming eyes staring down at me. Red was on the roof of the nearest building, watching me. I wondered if he was the one that had been following me. As I thought this, he nodded to me, jumping down and gliding over to where I stood. He landed at my feet with a grim smile on his face. I wondered if he was going to try and fight me or tell Augustine, since he saw me free the humans.
“I know you are actually intelligent, despite what Augustine wants me to believe. Will we have a problem with what I just did?” I asked Red. He stared at me for a moment and said No. I will not tell him. But answer me this: why did you free them? He spoke telepathically, like Rai could.
“I couldn’t let them go through another day in this place.” I told him. “Why do you serve Augustine?” I asked. I could tell he didn’t like being near the vampire, but for some reason, he didn’t do anything about it.
We have a contract. He said. Contract?
“To protect the vampires?” I asked. He nodded, looking to the ground. I got the feeling he didn’t like the contract, and maybe he wasn’t the one who made it. “Who made the contract, and what happens if you break it?” I asked.
When the Human Wars began, we vowed to protect them. My clan leader at the time, my alpha, my father, made the contract with Augustine. He thought by doing so, we would be protecting the humans. What he didn’t know, was that Augustine had tricked him. There was a loophole in the contract, stating that we would be protecting the humans, but not from what. We were tasked with protecting the humans from others, not from the vampires. They would be able to do anything they wanted to them, and we would not be able to stop it. If a gargoyle breaks the contract, the magic inside them leaves, and we stay as a stone statue forever. The magic helps us to be alive, just as blood keeps humans alive.
“Is there anything I can do?” I asked.
Why would you want to help us? We have all failed to protect the humans. It is in our nature to protect the weak, and we have failed. Time and time again we have failed. If gargoyles could cry, I could imagine that Red would be crying as he told me this. I could tell that Augustine’s deception hurt them all greatly.
“I feel the same way. I cannot let innocents be hurt when there is something to be done that could stop it.” I said. Red was quiet for a moment, as if he was thinking of telling me something, but wasn’t sure if he should. As if deciding, he nodded, saying We have spent centuries loking for a way out, and we have found one. If a vampire tells us we are free, the contract will be broken.
“It’s that easy?” I ask. “How come no one ever freed you before this? Do they all follow Augustine?” Red nodded. Everyone here likes the current situation. They don’t have to hunt for their food and they live relatively safe from the demons and shifters. None dare to ask how or why things are the way they are, and some just don’t care about the gargoyle’s fate.
“Red.” I say, looking into his eyes. I smiled wide and said “You are free.” Red smiled wide and nodded thanks to me before flying away. A moment later, I felt a slight release of magic in the air, the contract being broken from the rest of the gargoyles. I realized then that by just telling one gargoyle they were free, the rest of them were as well. Smiling, I started walking back to find Rai. I had a lot to tell him.
*****
I didn’t realize I had fallen asleep until I felt Helen trying to shake me awake. I didn’t feel sleepy earlier until I lay down on the bed. It had been such a long time since sleeping in a bed, it felt like floating on a cloud.
“Rai wake up. I have news.” She said. News meant that she probably left the room while I slept. I wondered if she got any sleep before wandering around. I hoped no one saw her in the daylight. If the other vampires knew what she was, they would want to experiment on her. I wouldn’t let that happen. Now fully awake, I sat up and looked at Helen. Her eyes were bright, indicating the news must be good.
“Did you sleep?” I asked. She shook her head.
“I couldn’t sleep. I slept for so long already, Rai. Plus, I got to look around without anyone seeing me.” She said.
“What did you find out?” I asked her. She sat at the end of the bed, facing me. She told me of the humans she found, which appalled me. Last time I was here it wasn’t this bad. Then she told me about the gargoyles. They were now free, and I wondered what they were going to do. Were they going to escape? Or were they going to get their revenge on the vampires who held them to the contract for so many years?
“So what do we do now?” she asked.
“I’m not sure. Did Red say what the gargoyles are going to do?” If they were going
to fight the vampires, I wanted to help, and I knew Helen would want to help, too.
“No, he just flew away, then I felt the contract over them break, I felt the magic in the air as it was broken. I haven’t seen any gargoyle since.” She said. “Maybe they went to find the humans.”
“I hope so. By the sound of it, they were in bad shape. I hope they found Alice and Selena okay.” I said.
It felt to be about noon time, and asked Helen if she wanted to go explore some more around town. She seemed to like that idea, and we set out to look around. When we were a few buildings over from where we started, I heard the flapping of wings. Looking up, we saw Red, along with many more gargoyles flying down to meet us. Red nodded at us, landing first. We plan to kill the vampires. Tonight. Red said. Many of the gargoyles looked eager for a fight, claws scraping the ground in anticipation. I almost felt bad for the vampires of the city. Almost.
You two are not like the others. One gargoyle said. It had clear green eyes, which glittered in the shining sun.
“Indeed we are not.” I said. I wondered how much we should tell the gargoyles about us. Seeing as they were going to be attacking the vampires tonight, like we had planned to do from the beginning, I decided it wouldn’t hurt to let them know a little about us. I knew we would be needing all the help we could get tonight.