The Keeper

by Oz Mari G.

  She spent her days on her creative endeavours—writing and composing songs for some upcoming singers in the country. Her life became more balanced, more satisfying. Richer and nuanced. However, the sense of contentment that she was trying to recapture remained elusive.

  Veren resurfaced in her consciousness and had taken up much of her thoughts in the past two years, because of the political crisis that assailed the Viscerebuskind. The conflict had escalated to a degree that it almost became a full-blown global war. Her concern for Veren’s welfare became constant. Reading the Tribunal Journal as soon as it got released became a priority. She scouted for news about the Iztaris, about him.

  She put the book back on the shelf. It was time to meet her friends near Puerta de Alcala. A glance at the overhead clock in the library told her she was running late. She would have to walk as fast as she could to arrive on time. Diego, a long-time friend, had flown in from Manila and she didn’t want to make him wait.

  All her friends rooted for Diego. They thought it very romantic that he always came to Madrid at this time of the year for his annual holiday. Diego hadn’t been secretive about his desire to be more than friends with her since the very beginning, but she felt she was too young for a relationship back then. Also, she had to admit that her memories of Veren hindered her inclination towards other boys her age. They all seemed too juvenile, too shallow, too insubstantial.

  Diego was selfless enough to accompany her through her journey of personal growth and learning about the world and its human inhabitants. He had been a good and constant friend over the years, and he was one of the few humans she maintained contact with after the Transit.

  Her close relationship with her cousin Xandrei balanced her view of the two kinds of people in her life, and she realised she was quite lucky. She lived between two worlds, allowed to cross either at will. Most of her Vis did not have that freedom, and the humans didn’t even know of the other. Diego remained ignorant of her nature and her family, so trust between them never deepened.

  As she walked down the stairs of the library, she thought that if she was going to have a boyfriend now, she could do no better than Diego. Attractive, smart, kind and steadfast. She trusted him, and she knew Diego loved her.

  Her mind was preoccupied with the thoughts of the past, present, and wishes for her future as she rushed towards her destination.

  Anza traversed the streets by instinct while she sent a text message to her friends to inform them she would be ten or fifteen minutes late. She was familiar with the streets of Madrid, and had walked them almost every day since she moved here. She slid her phone back into her bag and turned into the corner of an alley that would cut her travel time in half.

  As Veren turned the street corner, a woman crashed into him, almost bouncing off of him. By instinct, his hand shot out to steady her. That simple touch electrified him. His entire being knew before the woman looked up.

  Anza.

  Her gasp of recognition echoed his sharp intake of breath. His brain reeled, dizzying him as his world staggered to a complete stop. He didn’t know how long he stood there gazing at her. She looked equally stunned and thunderstruck. Her eyes locked onto his.

  All his senses focused on her and her sweet face. Familiar, yet new. The baby soft cheeks were less so, her eyes were still as wide, and her lips had the same plump pout. All those years apart, the tame, friendly messages in the early months, and the complete silence in the last five years, came rushing back to him.

  The pressure in his heart bubbled over, and a burst of instinct overpowered him. He pulled her flush into his arms, her hands flattened between them, palms rested over his pounding heart. His mind had only one overwhelming thought: to kiss Anza. Finally.

  His iron control was stretched taut. His sense of honour compelled him to ask for permission from her. But the words wouldn’t come. His lips were almost touching hers, his shuddering breath an entreaty as he waited in pained silence for her.

  Anza’s own breath trembled before she breached the hairline gap between their lips. Her agreement was like an explosion to his senses. That was enough.

  His lips fastened onto hers like a man dying of thirst. It was a fierce, demanding, pleading kiss. Anza’s indrawn breath was lost in his mouth, her head cradled in his hand as he anchored her for his kiss, savouring the texture of her mouth.

  Her scent enveloped him; the softness of her clouded his vision. She still smelled the same, still felt the same. Except that she was a woman now. Ready for the love he wanted to give her. And his heart quickened as she kissed him back with equal intensity. The same longing flavoured her kisses. The same feeling of homecoming suffused them both.

  All the emotions he had bottled up inside, so he could function during those years of radio silence, all the feelings he refused to shine a light on as a matter of self-preservation, converged into this one single moment.

  He ripped his mouth off from her when the pressure on his chest threatened to burst. He leaned into her; their foreheads touched. His arms wrapped like tight bands around her. His very being wanted to absorb her into himself, never to part with Anza again. He kept his eyes closed. To look into hers would unman him.

  “Anza,” he breathed out into her mouth. His throat refused to move for the words he wanted to say to her. He swallowed to loosen it.

  “What took you so long?” She rested her cheek on his chest.

  “Life goals … You needed to grow up, and I needed to be ready for us.”

  “And are you ready now?” Her voice came soft as a whisper.

  “Yes … No more wasting time.”

  Her sigh of contentment went straight to his soul.

  And everything in his world righted itself. In her presence, he felt his heart grow back.

  THE END

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  World Of The Viscerebus Glossary

  These are the Viscerebus terms mentioned in the novel.

  Absorption—or Zurugatzen—the voluntary practice of offering one’s own viscera upon death to select Viscerebus loved ones. This is practiced by Viscerebus, Veil-bound Erdias, and in rare cases, Veil-bound humans. The offered organs are consumed or ‘absorbed’ by the Viscerebus recipient. This is an act of love and faith that once absorbed, the donor, or Rugat, becomes part of the recipient, or the Zurugat, forever. The ritual is usually between parent and child, siblings, life partners and lovers. (See Zurugatzen – The World of Viscerebus Almanac).

  Animus (Heart or Instinct Animal) or Spirit Animal — the true animal form of a Viscerebus. All Viscerebus have one, although not all would discover theirs. An Auto-morphosis, or reflexive transformation, usually reveals to a Viscerebus their Animus. Some Viscerebus transform into one animal all their lives and discover that their Animus was a different form.

  In some Viscerebus families, it was part of their tradition to deny sustenance to the child of twelve to force an Auto-morphosis. This is usually done under the supervision of the adults. The practice lost favour over the centuries because it often resulted in injury to the child and usually the said child would elect to transform into the animal form they habitually turn into, thus defeating the object of discovering their Animus.

  Now, the term is used erroneously by modern Viscerebus to refer to their animal form, whether it is their true Spirit Animal or just their hunting form. (See Auto-morphosis. See Spirit Animal, Reflexive Transformation – The World of the Viscerebus Almanac).

  Apex – A super shapeshifter. A very rare Viscerebus that can transform into a winged animal, either chiropteran (bats) or
avian (birds) form. They can transform fully, or partially. Other special Apex skills that previous ones have manifested are echolocation, sound blasting, and magnetic field manipulation.

  Natural facial alteration for disguise is a skill Apex Kazu Nakahara discovered. For an Apex that becomes skilled in turning on their brain’s theta waves, they can read other people’s brain waves and influence them.

  It is said that the full skill set of an Apex has not been fully revealed yet because new skills keep getting discovered by each successive Apex. (See Shape-shifting – The World of the Viscerebus Almanac, Dawn of the Dual Apex)

  Aquila—the other name for the giant eagle named Aetos Kaukasios, one of the two primary mythical gods to the Viscerebus. The other is Prometheus. The Viscerebuskind attribute the beginning of their race to the two gods. According to the legend, Zeus sent Aetos to devour the liver of Prometheus every night as his eternal punishment for giving fire to humans and for tricking Zeus to choose a less valuable sacrificial offering from humans. The Viscerebus’ need to eat viscera is attributed to the saliva of Aetos believed to have contaminated the liver of Prometheus, which was used by the latter to create the Viscerebus.

  Aetos was the offspring of two other Titans, Typhon and Echidna, the father and mother of mythical monsters in Greek Mythology. (See Prometheus. See Origin – World of the Viscerebus Almanac).

  Aswangs – The Filipino term for Viscerebus. Of all the countries in the world, the existence of Viscerebus is the most entrenched in the Philippine culture for two reasons:

  First, the Filipinos launched the most aggressive campaign against the Viscerebus. Their Venandis were the most experienced. The Venandi practice, which started as a family endeavour, became traditionally and habitually passed on to the next generation. There are still active—albeit a lesser number of—Venandis operating in the country.

  The superstitious nature of the Filipinos allows them to believe that Aswangs still exist, albeit in exaggerated and erroneous form. Many books have been written, and movies made, featuring Aswangs as evil creatures, usually depicted as the minions of the devil.

  Like every culture, the existence of the Viscerebus has been relegated into myth and lore, and the term Aswang is used as a blanket term for almost every man-eating and blood sucking ghoul in the country.

  Second, the local tribes in the country were also the first to accept the Viscerebus into their midst and established a collaborative and symbiotic relationship. Native Viscerebus in the Philippines were the only ones sanctioned by the Tribunal to work openly with the human tribal members. Their Veil-binding applies only to humans that were not part of the tribe. (See Venandi – World of the Viscerebus Almanac).

  Auto-morphosis – also known as Reflexive Transformation is the involuntary shape-shifting into the animal spirit of a Viscerebus. The vital instinct to hunt and secure Victus or sustenance triggers this transformation. It triggers the vital instinct when a Viscerebus fails to consume human viscera for over three days.

  It is possible to induce an Auto-morphosis through practice and meditation. Some Viscerebus do this to discover their Animus. (See Animus, Crux, Reflexive Transformation, See Shape-shifting – World of the Viscerebus Almanac)

  Brevis Amorem—or short love. A label used by the Vis community for a temporary romantic relationship or affair between a Viscerebus male and a human female. The chief characteristic is the initial intention of the male to conduct a short-term relationship with a female from the outset, regardless if the female is aware of or in agreement with it.

  Most male Viscerebus use the Veil of Secrecy law to justify having multiple brevis amorems. It was normal and acceptable. The community called Viscerebus males who practise this as a Hedonis. It had the same connotation as being a player, or a playboy in the human world.

  In the most recent history, female Viscerebus embraced the practice as well, and claimed equal rights to conduct brief affairs with males, whether Vis or human. The fundamental distinction was their refusal to have kids with the males. It started as a way of rebelling against the societal expectations for females to give birth to a new generation of Viscerebus.

  To call a female Hedonis, or a Hedonna, was derogatory. Most female Viscerebus resented the label. However, the stigma falls away the moment a female Vis gives birth. The Viscerebus society considers them to have done their duty in the propagation of their kind. A woman could return to Brevis Amorem practice and never again be looked down upon.

  Recent times, however, revived the title, and the Viscerebus women wear it proudly. (See Hedonna, Hedonis – The World of the Viscerebus Almanac)

  Crux—the subconscious inner control of a Viscerebus to stop or start shapeshifting into their animal form. A Viscerebus could call forth their Crux into consciousness to prevent an Auto-morphosis or reflexive transformation. A Viscerebus can strengthen their Crux through meditation and constant practice.

  It is common training for Iztaris and some individuals to embark on regular vital fasting to flex and strengthen their Crux.

  The Crux is similar to human willpower. (See Auto-morphosis, Reflexive Transformation, See Vital Fasting – The World of the Viscerebus Almanac)

  Erdia—an Erdia is a half-blood, born from a Male Viscerebus and a Female human. Erdias are very human in their nature except they would be slightly stronger, faster and live longer than their human counterpart. They may inherit some enhancement on their senses. They don’t inherit the shape-shifting and need for human viscera.

  Most Erdias who use their enhanced strength and speed become athletes. Erdias who inherit a superior sense of taste and scent usually become renowned chefs, perfume makers and other professionals that maximise their abilities.

  The knowledge of the Erdias about the Viscerebuskind would depend on whether the Viscerebus father tells his offspring. If the Erdia was told, they would be bound to the Veil of Secrecy just like their Viscerebus parent, and they become part of the Viscerebus world.

  A significant number of Erdias are unaware of the Viscerebus world because the Viscerebus father abandons them from infancy. These Erdias, being non-Veil-bound, are treated as human. They live normal human lives, unaware of the existence of the Viscerebus. (See Eremite, Mejordia – World of the Viscerebus Almanac).

  Gentem — (nation in Latin)–the current country of residence, or the immediate, previous country of residence of a Transitting Viscerebus. A Viscerebus can have between six to ten Gentems in their lifetime. This is not to be confused with Patriam, which is the country of birth of a Viscerebus. (See Patriam – World of the Viscerebus Almanac.)

  Impedio – a leather vest and chain contraption meant to restrain a Viscerebus from attacking humans during Auto-morphosis, or reflexive transformation. It is strapped tightly to the body of the Vis; the chains are attached to a firm foundation, like a wall or a tree. And when appropriate, a muzzle is part of the set. Every Vis is required to own one and carry it with them when they travel to remote places, especially if they travel for over three days.

  The modern Impedio has a Tracking Device that is automatically triggered when the Distress Transmitter is turned on. The Distress Transmitter can be activated manually and automatically by the change of the heartbeat in a Vis during complete transformation.

  The transmitter signals the nearest Iztari office that someone needs human viscera. The Iztaris are then deployed to rescue the unfortunate being.

  It is illegal to activate a Distress Transmitter as a joke or a prank. The punishment comprises a huge fine, and a demerit point on their record. (See Auto-Morphosis, Reflexive transformation, See Demerit System – The World of the Viscerebus Almanac)

  Iztari—the law enforcement of the Supreme Viscerebus Tribunal. They are embedded in the human armed forces, police and security community as a way of hiding in plain sight, acquiring military training and gaining knowledge on the human military and police system.

  The Iztaris’ main mandate is to implement strict adherence to the Veil of Secrecy
. They are deployed to either a) hunt Harravirs or Harravis, b) implement the Veil procedures, c) defend humans or other Viscerebus from Harravirs and Harravises, d) Find other Viscerebus communities.

  The Iztari system is unique, as there are no ranks among the Iztaris. However, there is a Team Head appointed when a team is deployed. The only figure of authority is the Chief Iztari. The Iztari office employs both Viscerebus and Erdias with the right skills. Erdias are office bound and do analyst and research tasks rather than fieldwork.

  Only the Viscerebus may go on field because of the inherent danger of dealing with a vicious Harravir and Harravis. Iztaris are well-trained and well-equipped for combat. The Iztari office uses the latest technologies that the human and the Viscerebuskind can offer. Ten per cent of the Viscerebi population are Iztaris. (See SVT – World of the Viscerebus Almanac).

  Prometheus—A Greek Titan and the god of creative fire and the creator of men. He was the son of Titan Iapetus and the Oceanids, Clymene. His siblings are Atlas, Epimetheus, Menoetius. He is known for his intelligence, as the author of human arts and sciences, and a champion of humankind. His name meant “Forethought”.