Vampiris Sancti: The Elf (23 page)

A muscular
young human was fiddling with the window of a car left parked in
the back lane. Wearing grubby faded jeans and threadbare black
t-shirt he was nothing like the designer elegance of the Vampires.
The small car was not luxurious like the ones driven by the Zhismi
as it reminded her more of the rundown taxi—the carriage that had
smelled so bad. It was not the car that interested her as much as
the young man near it. She had seen enough Perhks in action to know
a thief when she saw one and he was without doubt—one in action.
She considered the new turn of events because here was a potential
ride for a thief caught was a situation worth exploiting in the
best demon manner! Unobserved, she watched the young man take a
metal rod from his sleeve and force the door open. Since Elves
frequently helped themselves to things they didn’t own his actions
were not offensive or inspired any sense of impropriety in the
morally ambiguous creature. Objects were just that to an Elf and
while she might leave an offering in exchange of fair play she
often ignored the right of custody. If she were to become involved
in the plight of another it would be upon the more basic level of
survival. Thieving was no more than a lark to a creature that had
little concept or respect of ownership.

The young man
fiddled beneath the dash and when the engine erupted he closed the
door quickly while preparing to depart. What he didn’t expect was
the sudden appearance of a copper haired girl with green eyes
smiling at him like a friendly conspirator.

Before he could
react she stated her demand, “I need to get to the Chambers.”

Startled, he
ran his fingers through his gelled hair as his unshaven face spoke
of hurried agendas requiring his presence elsewhere. He slipped the
metal rod into his hand and the ever-watchful eyes of the Elf
turned teal in response.

“You know—I
wouldn’t.”

She snapped her
fingers, the sparks of the Salvae hissed as they hit the vinyl of
the dashboard. He put his hand on the door looking for escape, but
she shook her head.

“I am faster
and stronger than you.”

This time she
directed the spark to the door handle and stung by the snap of
energy he snatched his hand back.

His wary eyes
examined the Elf. “Which chambers? The city is full of them, music,
commerce, even a restaurant.”

Zyre realised
the human wouldn’t know of Vampire business and so he had no idea
of their Chambers.

“Take me into
the city and don’t be worrying—I won’t tell anyone of your naughty
ways.”

Resigned to his
unwelcome passenger he shoved the car in gear while keeping a
nervous eye upon his passenger.

“What are ya?”
he asked Zyre.

She knew he was
not interested in what she was as much as how he could manipulate
knowledge of her and she didn’t want bothering by demon or human.
Ignoring the question she hummed under her breath and her driver
relaxed without realising as his body became in tune to the Elf
song. They continued into the city and once she recognised her
bearings she dissolved onto a nearby roof leaving her driver
unaware of her departure for several minutes.

Zyre moved
across the city still full of energy thanks to her unexpected lift
and soon she was back at the Chambers watching the side door open
and close. A flash of colour caught the corner of her eye—she knew
this feeling—it had been following her about and she would have
chased it if her mind was not set upon other things.

Never one to
shirk the bold approach Zyre appeared in front of the door and
without bothering to knock entered as if invited. The titanic demon
taking up most of the hallway was not disturbed by her sudden
appearance because their mental processes were slow and few things
threatened the Aegai enough to make them fearful. Like an ancient
dinosaur, out of place, oversized, and impenetrable, the large
demon turned to confront the wayward Elf.

“What you do
here Elf?”

Zyre knew she
couldn’t stay around too long because the Vampires always got
bitchy about anyone knowing their secret business. She took the
shalur from her pocket and the demon’s eyes lit up at the
offering.

“An exchange
for this shalur—I want an address.”

The Aegai
shuffled with the temptation for he desperately wanted the rare
marble. These demons loved baubles and a magical one was
irresistible, but betrayal of Vampires inspired caution.

Zyre coaxed him
as her emerald eyes seduced. “Just an address after all, a House
can take care of any intruders—even a small magical one like
me.”

The huge demon
looked down at the deceptively frail girl before him and he should
have known better, but then again he was an Aegai. If you got what
you paid for, then the Vampires got the security their economical
but dimwit servants provided.

His eyes never
left the shalur. “What House?”

“Cardei.”

“It is New
World. They are west to the city.”

“How far
west?”

The demon
struggled to give a reference. “Near the water.”

Zyre tossed him
the marble and dissolved back across the street knowing she had to
go west until she found enough water to make an Aegai comment.
Standing on the building she took note of the sun starting to dip
below the horizon and she began the long series of dissolves across
the city. Her energy linked to the organic and in a barren jungle
of concrete dimensions this posed a problem, causing her to require
frequent intake of sugar and she soon finished the package of
biscuits.

It wasn’t hard
for her to fathom a mansion filled with Vampires and she arrived at
Cardei as the last streaks of colour tinted the sky. Zhismi ran
about organising another Vampire night and hiding in the garden
until her energy restored itself; she searched each window for
sight of the girl. She didn’t have to wait long when the girl in
question appeared on the balcony jutting from one of the rooms to
watch the last of the sun sinking into a lake of orange in the
distance. Zyre dissolved into the canopy of a tree directly
opposite and started to eat an apple while she waited to be
noticed, which was not long after the crunch of her bite filled the
air. The girl waved her arms at her frantically as if terrified her
magical visitor was about to abscond without dropping by for
conversation.

Dissolving onto
the balustrade of the balcony Zyre balanced herself with the
precision of a cat while she got her first proper look at the still
fragile creature. The girl was young—twenty-something human years.
Her dark hair glowed with the first streaks of Vampire colour and
her clear grey eyes were wide in apprehension. Like Zyre she was
small boned and standing a few inches shorter—she seemed fragile
and lost.

Curiosity fell
from her like water off a cliff. “Are you really magic, are you
really an Elf?”

Zyre smiled at
her human wonder for it reminded her of the Zhismi child. “Could
be.”

The girl
continued as if magical was something she didn’t understand. “How
can you do magic—it’s against the laws of nature!”

Zyre protested.
“What nature, yours or mine? Some do magic, some are magical, all
are not the same, but none are different.”

The explanation
confused the Vampire and she looked at Zyre with eyes brimming with
infinite questions.

“What’s your
name—mine is Siah, well it isn’t, but now it is because I was
renamed against my will.”

She took
another bite of her apple pondering that the girl was still human
enough to be likeable, despite becoming Vampire.

“Zyre.”

“Are there any
more like you?” the girl prodded.

Zyre couldn’t
help smiling at the thought of Beb fluttering about the balcony
while knocking the girl overboard.

“There be the
Pixie Beb and he loves the juniper.”

The girl was
too caught up in her own confusion to enjoy a Pixie. “Why are you
following me—are you going to rescue me?”

Zyre tilted her
head. “Not to leave, just needing.”

Siah gave her a
hurt glare as if magical betrayal was a personal affront. “Why did
you leave me to those demons back in the lane?”

The Elf
shrugged. “Because was best to be of House.”

“I could have
been fine if you just gave me the chance.”

Her laugh was
like the tinkle of bells on the wind. “No, you wouldn’t, without
sanction you be dead!”

“So everyone
keeps telling me,” she grumbled.

Fed up with the
self-absorption of everyone from this world Zyre frowned.

“I be rescuing
you enough, first the ones who would take your bag, then the
Oric—you learn to keep yourself Tyro!”

The girl had
the sense to look ashamed and her apology was sorrow upon the
breeze.

“Sorry I’m
being so ungrateful—I’m just afraid all the time. I never feel safe
here because I was Unveiled for some sort of revenge.”

Zyre tried
comfort, which was something she was not the best at offering. “You
will be good. Vampires have many rules so no danger for you.”

“There’s the
Oric—they attacked us didn’t they?”

The Elf smiled.
“We are all friends now and no more bother.”

The girl nodded
and the Elf used the moment to ask the question she had come to
find out. “Who is the one that makes you?”

“He’s called
Galt—almost Aunsin and very dangerous.”

Zyre was as not
concerned with the supposed danger of the Vampire as why the
mention of him scraped across her mind—causing her memory
discomfort. Finishing the apple and forgetting the human need for
goodbye the Elf wrinkled her nose and disappeared into the dusk.
She didn’t want to know about the fears of the girl because that
would mean caring and that’s when Elves would get into real
trouble. Instead, she dissolved—absconding from grief as she did
from chaos or responsibility to leave the Tyro alone with the
heartbreak of her new dark world.

The Houses

The Vampire
civilisation was divided into two sets of ruling houses known as
Old World and New World. Old World had at the core those that
mutated by the original virus instead of Unveiled by another
Vampire. If an Old World Vampire Unveiled another then that Vampire
was also of the powerful Old World blood and these achieved Ancient
status—Aunsin—long before New World Vampires. The closer the
relationship of the New World blood was to the original virus the
faster a Vampire aged towards Aunsin. This state was not always
determined by the chronological age of the Vampire.

Old World

Balsescu

Tadeus
Balsescu, a merchant, soldier of fortune, rogue, and sometimes
thief from the amber road founded this Old World house. Once
Unveiled he used his Vampire attributes to build his wealth before
mysteriously disappearing. Here he was purported to have held
possession of the secret Cathar treasure, which vanished after the
Albigensian Crusade. Tadeus, suspicious of a Pope capable of
organising a crusade against fellow Christians to fill his coffers
formed an alliance with the other Vampires he could locate. He
formed the first and most powerful House of the Council of the
Aeternus.

Kokumuo

This ancient
house was founded by Uuka, a Samburu warrior, raised in a society
of warfare and cattle herding. He was a master of defence and
raiding others for the needs of his people as he became an
important figure in his nomadic society. Whom else would the
Vampire seek to Unveil but one strong enough to survive the harsh
world of Africa? He became both the saviour and destroyer of his
world wandering the continent while enjoying the infamy of being a
legend to scare children and the bane of villages who chose to
leave him a sacrifice rather than live in fear of a nocturnal visit
from the night demon. The arrival of Europeans caused an upheaval
far greater than any he had known and intending to keep his kind
invisible to the new intruders, he formed his house naming it
Kokumuo—one who does not die.

DaoJixu

His name Huojin
meant fire metal, born the son of an artisan in the time of dragon
bones and named after the skills that ran in his line. Like his
father before him he learned how to spend hours hammering designs
onto the bronze weapons of the warriors, never dreaming that he
would soon strike terror into the hearts of these men of battle and
their noble masters. When attacked the peasant was allowed within
the walls, but the lowly artisan and merchant were left to fend for
themselves. Considered less important than those who grew crops
they were often the first victims of battle. It was through the
cracks of their doors and windows that he sought revenge when he
crept in at night to end the lives of the men who had left him to
the mercy of the Vampire. Centuries later when the Boxers created
chaos he saw his brethren scatter, some in fear at the New World,
some sated with the spoils of war, reckless to the point of
discovery. So he created the house of Daojixu to protect those he
had freed from the constraints of noble excesses.

New World

Veraign

Liberty,
Equality, Fraternity and Chaos, a country torn apart, where anarchy
held the reins, where rural resisted the authority of Paris. Here
the Vampire roamed, his presence having little impact upon the
upheaval of a world gone mad. Aimon Veraign, a young man caught
between federalism and the Terror saw his world torn apart by
factions and political purges where the innocent usually paid the
price. About to become another victim of this divided society the
Vampire rescued him from certain death by offering him certain
death. They feasted upon the spoils of Bonaparte’s path until the
disarray of war was replaced by a far more formidable threat to
their existence—peace. He quickly established a protocol for his
consorts to live by and the first of the New World houses Veraign
was formed.