Tristan
We reached a moment in time when the worst had already been done, and the Aeternae were learning to live with their new world order in the absence of their maker. The Unending was infused into Visio, and she could see and hear everything. It hurt my eyes to focus, as these memories were overwhelmingly complex. We could see millions of Aeternae at once, each of them doing something, saying something.
“It was hard for me to concentrate on a single person at first.” Her voice echoed in my head. Around us, the imperial palace rose. The marble statues of the Unending were replaced with representations of Mira and Kemi as the Lord and Lady Supreme. Nubile women wearing flowing silks and carrying baskets of roses replaced the eternity motifs in every hall of the building. Noble warriors clad in sculptural armor raised their weapons toward the sunrise from the palace terraces. Brightly colored flowers blossomed in round white ceramic pots everywhere. It was beautiful, but it was also sad.
The Aeternae had been working hard to remove the Unending from their records, from their cultural existence. Their shame weighed heavily in the air, as they struggled to build a new identity for themselves—one that didn’t reveal the horrible truth of what they’d allowed to happen in order to save their immortality.
“Is this why we’ve been having a hard time sifting through your memories?” I asked. The image shifted around us. We were transported from room to room, taking in all the details along the way—white silk curtains and stained glass windows, gilded details on the wooden furniture, richly colored tapestries, and elegant works of art. They filled every inch of their world with pretty things to compensate for the fact that they had allowed Unending to be trapped and tormented by Spirit. All they had was shame and an eternity to live with it all.
In retrospect, it was no wonder they’d chosen to erase as much of the Unending’s memory as possible. Had I been in their shoes, having traded my maker for immortality, I would’ve looked for ways to forget everything, too. I would’ve taught future generations that the Aeternae had evolved into who they were.
“Yes, but now I’m learning,” Valaine said as she took us into the throne room. There, we found Mira and Kemi sitting on their splendid and sparkling golden thrones. Precious stones had been sewn into their regal clothes, with mother-of-pearl buttons and platinum inlays. They looked stunning with their bejeweled crowns and smooth skin. But the sadness in their eyes persisted, a grim reminder of what they’d allowed to happen.
“They are the first Aeternae rulers,” I commented as we zoomed in on the Lord and Lady Supreme. A servant came in with a wheeled cart bearing various pitchers, along with crystal chalices and white cotton napkins. The Nasani sigil was embroidered on their corners with silver thread.
“Yes, they are.”
“They look miserable.”
I could almost feel the Unending smiling, despite the absence of a physical form. “They’ve made their bed, Tristan, and now they have to sleep in it. Unlike the Spirit Bender, Mira and Kemi—along with many others among their kind—had to face powerful consciences. They allowed this to happen, even though it didn’t feel right. Naturally, the entire situation began to eat away at them,” Valaine replied.
“What is this?” Kemi asked as the servant moved to leave the throne room. The man turned around, his hands behind his back and his voice uneven.
“Various assortments of drinks, Your Grace. You requested something special for the autumn banquet, and so the staff have scoured the land for these recipes.”
“I don’t really give a damn about that. I asked you to handle it, not organize a tasting.” Mira scoffed, absently gazing off to the side and past the open window. We could see the ocean from here, a vast blue mass of rippling waters beneath a bright and sunny sky. “It doesn’t matter where it comes from. As long as the people are entertained, we’ll be—argh!” she cried out, suddenly covering her ears.
“My love, what’s wrong?” Kemi gasped, instantly out of his throne and kneeling in front of her. “Are you hurt?”
Mira cried, tears rolling down her cheeks as she took a moment to adjust.
“I’m trying to reach out to her…” Valaine said.
“What is happening?” Mira sobbed, revealing the blood pouring from her ears. Kemi inched closer, frowning as he inspected the problem. Moments later, he cursed under his breath when his own ears started bleeding, as well.
“You tried to reach out to him, too, huh?” I asked. Watching all of this made me feel tiny and insignificant, somehow. A mere blip. The result of eons of struggles and misery and death magic that had eventually led to my birth and my making. I doubted my parents would’ve met, had it not been for The Shade and GASP. Vampires wouldn’t have existed without the Aeternae—the very Aeternae I was looking at now, with a mixture of awe and… pity.
“I only wanted to reason with them, to make them understand that they still had a chance to do something, if only they would listen. But without my physical form, I was unable to control the intensity of my spiritual outreach…”
The pity I’d been feeling wasn’t necessary, I realized. They were responsible for their own situation, and they had a very long time to live with the consequences of their poor decisions. “In about three million years, long after they’re cursed with blood drinking, they will conquer Rimia, then Nalore, and establish their blood banks,” I said. “Your efforts to reason with them not only failed, but they sank deeper into their misery.”
“Yes. And I sincerely regret that the Rimians and the Naloreans got dragged into this. It wasn’t fair,” the Unending replied.
“Where are the others? Arya, all the Seniors who witnessed the first two seals… will we be seeing the third seal anytime soon?”
“Give it a moment, Tristan.”
The large doors swung open. A mass of Aeternae walked in, led by Arya. Most were clad in fine and expensive-looking fabrics—likely nobles of the court. Others had settled for black leather tunics and capes. Gold masks hung from the latter’s belts, and it took every ounce of strength I had left to push the nausea away as I recognized the early stages of Darklings. They’d not been founded yet as a faction, but I could certainly see the origin of their sartorial choices here among the Aeternae nobles.
“What were the gold masks for?” I asked.
“The ones carrying them were part of the security council. They commanded the armies,” Valaine explained. “After the Darklings were founded, all those with masks joined the faction, leaving a leadership gap in the military until the first member of the Crimson dynasty stepped forth and took over.”
“What is the meaning of this?” Mira asked, wiping blood from her ears with one of the cotton napkins.
Upon closer inspection, I noticed they were all exhibiting the same symptoms—perforated eardrums. Those beyond the palace walls must’ve been incredibly confused and startled at this point. “I tried to talk to all of them. I’d only managed to send a message or two in their dreams, but nothing ever stuck,” Valaine said. “I’d sensed Spirit’s presence again, and I wanted to… I don’t know, to keep fighting, I guess…”
“He’s here,” Arya said, grimacing from the momentary discomfort. She used the back of her dress sleeve to clean herself up. “The Spirit Bender.”
Both Mira and Kemi grew pale. Neither liked the news.
“No… what is he doing back?” Kemi murmured.
“I think someone called out to him,” Arya replied. “You are aware of the fever outbreak that’s been plaguing our people?”
“Ah, right.” Valaine sighed. “I was bound to Visio and deprived of my physical form. I was angry beyond consolation, and the Black Fever curse had finally reached the surface. Meanwhile, I was lashing out, desperately wanting to start a conversation. As you can see, I made their ears bleed, yet I couldn’t get a single word through. Fighting windmills, that’s what this was…”
“The Black Fever,” I said. “So, this was the beginning.”
“Five hundred people
are dead already,” Arya added. “More are falling sick each day. The black veins, the high temperatures… the internal putrefaction. Our physicians have tried everything, but there is no cure.”
“Yes, we’re well aware.” Mira shook her head slowly. “You do realize we’ve brought this on ourselves, right? This is no ordinary disease.”
“It’s punishment,” Kemi said, his gaze darkening as he beheld the crowd gathered before him and his wife. “Eternity is still here, after all. No matter how hard we try to erase her from our existence. We can all feel her.” He paused to wipe his ears, showing them the bloodied napkin. “This is probably her doing.”
Arya exhaled sharply and stepped forward, separating herself from the other nobles. “I know, Your Grace. But there must be something we can do. Maybe the Spirit Bender will help us again.”
“Like he did the last time? Don’t be foolish, Arya. He wasn’t helping us. He was minding his own interests. They just happened to intersect with ours.” Mira scoffed. “Nothing he gives us is good. Look at us now… We allowed him to bind her to Visio, and she gave us disease! The fever is taking hold of our brothers and sisters. We’re being picked off one by one. What do you think will happen if we accept the Spirit Bender’s help again?”
A familiar voice boomed through the throne room. “No need for such pessimism!” Spirit said, walking in. He hooked his thumbs through his leather belt, each step taken with a mixture of pride and caution as he moved past the nobles and Arya, reaching the Lord and Lady Supreme. I spotted the seal ring on his finger, assuming Unending’s scythe was hidden beneath his coat, too. “I’m here to help.”
“You’re full of—” Mira snapped, but Arya cut her off.
“Hold on. Let’s hear him out.”
Oh, she’d definitely withheld what she’d witnessed during the creation of the first seal. Arya was clearly dangerous, and our people had to be warned as quickly as possible, but Unending wasn’t done with this memory. Then again, time flowed differently in our interdimensional pocket.
“We did that once before. It didn’t end well,” Kemi replied, hands balling into fists as he sat back on his throne and lifted his chin in defiance. “You’re not welcome here, Spirit. You’ve done nothing but endless harm.”
“I made sure you retained your immortality. Thanks to me, you can live forever,” the Reaper shot back. “A little gratitude wouldn’t kill you. Besides, I hear there’s trouble in your realm.”
“Hundreds have died already,” one of the nobles said.
“More like thousands,” Spirit replied. “I suppose news doesn’t travel that fast here. But your island populations are basically extinct. Within two weeks, you’ll all be dead.”
Mira and Kemi exchanged nervous glances. The Lady Supreme couldn’t help herself, despite her obvious aversion to the Spirit Bender. “What do you know about the fever?”
“First of all, it’s a curse,” he said.
“It fed on my anger, my pain. It just grew beyond control. That’s what this was always about. The first two seals were imperfect, proof that Spirit had no business crafting new death magic spells of his own. Unable to accept that, he came back… determined to keep me down and prove he was better,” Valaine said.
As I flipped through the history pages of the Aeternae in my mind, it all came together. Unsurprised by the lies and half-truths that they had given us along the way, I could finally see the bigger picture of everything that had happened here, from the moment the Unending had come to Visio right up to her awakening in the north tower of Roano, almost five million years later.
“A curse?” Kemi asked, his brow furrowed.
“Your maker, Eternity, as you call her, is lashing out,” Spirit said with a faint shrug. “It’s not exactly a twist, to be honest. I saw this coming.”
“No, he didn’t,” Unending whispered.
“And I have a solution!” the Reaper continued. “Clearly, Eternity will not stay down without a fight. It’s not in her nature, and I may have slightly underestimated her. Nevertheless, I’m well prepared for whatever she might throw at us.”
“Us?” Kemi spat. “You’re doing this to help yourself!”
“And I’m helping you in the process. Everybody wins. Come, my friend. It’s not genius-level science,” Spirit retorted. “Anyway, it has become obvious that two seals are not enough, so a third is now a necessity.”
The earth itself rumbled. The Unending had been listening, and she was reacting to his words and his presence. The Aeternae were startled, their eyes wide as they looked at each other, then at Mira and Kemi, waiting for their Lord and Lady Supreme’s guidance.
“She knows you’re here,” Mira said, lowering her gaze.
“I couldn’t care less,” Spirit replied. “Do you want my help or not?”
“What if I tell you we don’t need your help?” she asked, blinking rapidly, struggling to keep her composure as cracks cut up and across the throne room walls. Visio was literally quaking. Dust fell from the broken ceiling, and the nobles gradually moved back, fearful of what might come next as the Unending’s rage manifested.
“Then you will all die of this… Black Fever, let’s call it. The name’s ominous enough, I reckon,” Spirit said. “You will perish, and Eternity will still be here, alone and inconsolable, helpless and empty on the inside. This planet will keep hurtling through space and around the sun. The galaxies will continue their dance through this vast and endless universe. But you will be no more. What was the point of being accomplices in my crime if you cannot reap a minimal reward, which, in your case, is eternal life?”
As much as I hated to admit it, Spirit had just offered a compelling argument. I could certainly see why Mira and Kemi relented. Sure, later on they changed their minds and finally turned back to where they had originally stood. Millions of years from now, they would join us in our quest to free the Unending. But before that, they had a few more terrible decisions to make.
“What do you suggest?” Mira asked, exhaling sharply.
Spirit raised Unending’s scythe, a grin slitting his face. “I’ve been thinking about a confluence of elements, actually. Not just a third seal.”
“Explain,” Kemi demanded.
Spirit’s galaxy eyes narrowed as he shifted his focus to the Lord Supreme. “You’ve got quite the lip on you, my friend, and I don’t like your tone. You’re forgetting who I am and what I can do to you.”
For a moment, I thought Kemi might concede, but the man was fearless even before a Reaper as evil and as dangerous as the Spirit Bender. “I’m not forgetting anything. In fact, you seem to be underestimating us. You think I don’t know why you’re in favor of our survival?”
“Enlighten me, please.” Spirit laughed, though I sensed the wariness in his tone.
“You need us. You’re not sure a third seal is enough to keep Unending down. In fact, I am willing to bet you’re not as all-powerful as you claim to be. She spoke to me, you know,” Kemi muttered, leaning back into his chair.
Mira was stunned. “What?”
“Eternity. She spoke to me in my dreams,” Kemi said. “I’ve kept it to myself because I wanted to avoid this exact situation—someone calling out to the Spirit Bender, finding a way to bring him back.”
So, Unending’s efforts had not been completely in vain, though Kemi had not taken any action upon her words. What a waste of energy on her part.
“Has she talked to you about me?” Spirit asked, the humor gone from his expression.
“Your knowledge of death magic is equal to hers, but you lack her flair and patience,” Kemi replied, the corner of his mouth twitching. “You say you know what you’re doing, but you see… I’m not sure you really do. Which is why you need us alive, so we can make sure she stays put beneath the seals.”
“Okay, so he definitely got some of your messages,” I said to Valaine.
“It looks like it, yes,” she replied. “I wasn’t even sure he would remember my words.”
The earthquake intensified, and one of the decorative columns came down, crashing into bits and pieces with a startling thud. The Unending’s anger was bubbling just beneath the surface now. Some of the nobles present coughed, suddenly pale, as black veins swelled up their throats. They were pushed away by the remaining healthy ones.
“It’s spreading faster!” Arya shouted, drawing a long knife from behind her back. “We can’t let it take us all!”
“See, whatever conversations you had with Eternity… they don’t matter now,” Spirit said, keeping his cool with a strained smile. “You have a problem, and I have a solution. With or without your consent, I will do what I must. But in the long run, you’ll find you catch more flies with honey. You want me by your side.”
“I don’t,” Kemi replied.
“We’re dying,” Mira told her husband. “I hate that we have to do this, but…”
“I understand, my love. But making a deal with this monster will only make things worse in the long run,” Kemi said. Mira wanted to agree with him. I could see the struggle in her blue eyes. But time was running out, and Spirit was the only one who could make things better for them.
“Here’s where we stand right now,” Spirit said. Behind him, the noblemen broke ranks. Those who’d fallen ill with Black Fever were dragged out by gold guards. The others murmured among themselves, trying to reach some kind of consensus while the palace trembled, pieces of the walls gradually coming off in uneven chunks. “I will apply a third seal, but it might not be enough to keep your people safe. Someone will have to swear fealty to me, to my cause. Someone will have to bend the knee for an eternity so that they can receive my wisdom and guidance on how to keep Eternity down and the Black Fever from killing too many people.”
“You’re forcing us into a partnership against our maker!” Kemi snarled.
Spirit waved him away. In an instant, Mira and Kemi vanished. I’d seen this before, but this time, he’d chosen to dispose only of the two most vocal opponents. Arya and the other nobles were stunned and terrified. The Reaper, however, could breathe easily once more, as if he’d just gotten rid of a pest.
A Shade of Vampire 85: A Shard of Soul Page 21