Without A Heartbeat

The elevator cab drew to a halt. Seven leaned across and opened the grate. A tunnel carved into misshapen rock stretched ahead, illuminated by green flames that flickered inside ornate cauldrons and sent shadows scattering in all directions. The smell was thick and woody, like a handful of herbs had been added to a bonfire. The ethereal scent clung to Scarlett like some hidden force, closer to her skin than her own frock.

Her anxiety rose as she was guided through the claustrophobic tunnel, her mind turning to all the horrors that might lie in store for her at the other end. What if they are some type of heathen cult with plans to sacrifice me to their god? Certainly, the hooded cloaks they wore and their displays of tricks and illusions suggested an organisation of skullduggery.

As if to make things worse, Larik leaned across and spoke quietly as they walked. “This passage leads to the Temple of the Divine Elements. It is a revered place of great importance to many within our retinue. Can I trust you to act in a respectful manner inside?”

Fear clawed at the walls of Scarlett’s stomach, but she nodded anyway. “Yes.”

Larik gave a smile. “Thank you.”

It wasn’t long before the group reached a grand set of steps that led up to a set of grandiose doors, etched with the same Latin motto that had been on the elevator. Huntmaster Solignis broke from the Guardians and pushed against the doors. They swung open with a magnanimous creak that reverberated down the passageway.

The Temple of the Divine Elements was as stunning to behold as its holy significance was apparent. Scarlett stood transfixed at the opulence that spread out in the vast room: the golden floor that shone under her dirty feet, the twelve columns that stretched up to a curved ceiling high above their heads, and the four rich tapestries that hung from the walls, each depicting a creature that was almost beyond Scarlett’s comprehension. The likeness of the same four creatures was repeated in a singular, colossal sculpture that towered over one side of the room, damaged either by the passing of time or an act of mighty aggression. One of the wings of a grand bird had broken off, as had the tail of a fish of almost incomprehensible size. There was something sad about the damaged sculpture to Scarlett. It was as if she were staring at the last relic of a once great civilization that had long since crumbled to dust.

The girl was led towards a set of grand steps that led up to an oversized chair draped in finery and the skinned carcass of a lion – the head of proud beast bowed over one side of the chair, as if in an act of submission. The Guardians fell into position around Scarlett until she and Huntmaster Solignis were the arrowhead that formed a large V shape.

A door at the back of the room swung open and a large man with a dark mane of his own walked in. As he drew closer, Scarlett saw that he had scars running from the corners of his mouth to his cheekbones - creating a macabre smile. He was dressed in ceremonial armour the colour of ash and a black shoulder cloak that flowed down his left side.

“Welcome home, Guardians,” he boomed.

“Greetings, Sage Blackwood,” they all said in unison, crossing their arms and extending them out towards the man. He returned the salute and then took a seat on the chair, draping both his thick arms over the armrests.

He must be the leader of this organisation, thought Scarlett. He certainly carried enough of an imposing presence for that to be the case. The man gave a nod and then looked to the Huntmaster. His face broke into a smile that was eerily exaggerated by his ghastly scars.

“It is good to see you again, Huntmaster Solignis. I was beginning to think you had transferred to Sciath.” There was a deliberate sardonic tone to his voice.

“Apologies for my delay sir. It is a relief to finally be back.”

The Sage transferred his gaze to Scarlett, who felt like an insect trapped under a glass. “So I am to believe she is the one who has been causing all this trouble?”

The Huntmaster took a deep breath. “Unfortunately she is not, Sage Blackwood. We were able to identify the perpetrator and gave chase. Despite our best efforts, I am sorry to report that he managed to evade capture. However, this is one of the individual’s latest victims. She is responsible for killing Richard Clarke and two other innocents. She was attacking her own brother when we located her, and Guardian Steel was able to render her unconscious.”

The words being stated so bluntly tore through Scarlett. “I didn’t mean to hurt him!” she blurted. “He’s my brother, I love him. I…couldn’t control my-”

“Silence!” the Sage barked and raised his hand. Scarlett stopped speaking as if she had turned mute. The leader turned to the Huntmaster, his jaw set. “It is very disappointing that after all the time and resources I afforded you, you were unable to do your job effectively.”

“The Outpost are aware of who they are searching for now and full scale efforts have begun to locate the traitor. I am confident they will conclude the issue soon.”

“For all of our sakes I hope this is true,” grumbled the Sage. “The Warren is one of the most renowned bases in the world and we have been reduced to a laughing stock over your handling of this case.”

Rachel took a step forward. “Sage Blackwood with all due respect, this was Sciath’s issue. Huntmaster Solignis came in to help and managed to identify a traitor who has been operating under their nose for months!”

The temple descended into utter silence and it was clear that the Guardian had spoken out of place. The Sage stared at her for what seemed like an eternity and she seemed to grow smaller with every moment that passed. When he finally spoke his words were full of hostility. “The next time you speak to me with disrespect, they will be your final words as a Guardian. Do you understand me Pixie?” He spat the final word as if it were blasphemous.

Rachel stepped back and bowed her head. “Yes, Sage Blackwood.”

The leader turned back to the Huntmaster. “You say that this girl here murdered Richard Clarke?” Scarlett’s stomach churned at the mention of her attacker’s name.

“Yes, sir. As well as her neighbours, Michael and Lisa Granger.”

The Sage nodded and stroked a finger across his thumb. “That is most unfortunate. Master Clarke was an important benefactor to Sciath and his loss will be a large financial blow to the Outpost, especially now the mayor of Belfast has removed his support.”

“I accept full responsibility for his death,” said Huntmaster Solignis.

“Don’t apologise yet, this may well work in our favour,” said the Sage, tapping a finger against the armrest. “If we can get the Magistratus to side with us and make an example of this one, it will show that we deal serious blows to those who collide with our organisation. It would help return some credence to the Warren.”

An invisible fist hit Scarlett’s stomach. He wants to punish me just to set an example to others? It had become apparent that the Guardians weren’t a masochistic cult or a band of mercenaries, but it did not make her situation any less severe. She didn’t know what being ‘made an example of’ entailed, but she was certain it was nothing good.

“Sir, if I may say, Miss Reid is a newborn of barely a week,” said Huntmaster Solignis. “It is my genuine belief that she was suffering from the effects of the Fury when she killed those innocents. Therefore, how can we in good faith hold her accountable for her actions?”

“As far as I am concerned, murder is murder. I do take your point though, so let us ask the girl.” The Sage turned his narrow eyes to Scarlett. “Did you mean to kill your neighbours?”

Scarlett shook her head. “N-no sir, I didn’t. They were my friends, I cared about them. But when I saw them through the window, I couldn’t help myself…I was so hungry and so angry. Before I knew what I was doing, they were dead.”

“Tell me what you did to them.”

Scarlett closed her eyes as she remembered the horrifying scene, the ripped throat of Lisa and the beaten, bloody mess that had once been Michael. Tears filled her eyes as she pictured their petrified faces. “Please sir, I don’t want to.”

“TELL ME!” he shouted, banging his fist on the arm and making Scarlett jump.

“I-I tore Lisa’s throat out and drank from her,” she choked.

“And the man?”

“I-I hurt him. Oh God, I hurt him so much. I tore pieces of him off until there was nothing left.” Scarlett held out her arms. “I tried to kill myself afterwards, I cut my wrists with glass but I couldn’t die! God wouldn’t let me.” She collapsed to her knees and wept, wracking sobs that shook her whole body. “Please forgive me, I didn’t mean it.”

A comforting hand was placed on Scarlett’s shoulder and she glanced up through tear-streaked eyes to the Huntmaster, who was wearing a saddened expression. He helped Scarlett to her feet.

“My Guardians and I can vouch for everything Miss Reid just said Sage Blackwood. The state of the bodies we discovered supports her confession. Plus as you can see from her remorse, their deaths were not one of premeditated murder.”

Nothing that Scarlett had said had stirred any kind of reaction from The Sage other than complete apathy. His face remained the same set jaw with scarred smile and narrowed eyes it had been before he asked the question. “Fine. I will accept that the deaths of Michael and Lisa Granger may have been caused by the Fury, which the girl cannot control.” He steepled his fingers together, the large rings he wore glinting in the light from the flame baths. “That does not account for the most important murder. Tell me girl, how do you know Master Clarke?”

It took Scarlett a while to compose herself. “H-he was my employer at Oakley Manor.”

“Was he a good employer?”

Scarlett said nothing.

“I will take it from your silence that you did not think so. Tell me instead, how did you kill him?”

Unlike the intense remorse she felt for Lisa and Michael, all Scarlett felt when she pictured Master Clarke was something that had once been anger but had now burned away into a dull pity. “I stabbed him in the throat with a letter opener and drank his blood,” she confessed.

The Sage raised his eyebrows and glanced at the Huntmaster. “Does this fit with your discoveries, Faru?”

Huntmaster Solignis looked uncomfortable. “It does sir…” he trailed off.

“And?”

“There were additional wounds.”

“Such as?”

“A broken wrist and four fractured metacarpal bones. His neck had also been broken. That was the actual cause of death.”

The Sage rubbed a palm against the armrest. “Interesting. To me that seems a very different attack to the one you subjected your neighbours to, girl.” He circled a hand in he air. “Far less frenzied and a lot more...purposeful. It seems almost as if you were trying to make him suffer before he died.”

Scarlett could feel panic rising within her. The air in the room was beginning to change and the conversation was heading in a direction she didn’t like.

“Tell me girl, why did you break his neck?”

Scarlett took a moment to steady her nerves, but her words were shaky. “I wanted to make sure that he wouldn’t become like me.”

“Such an act of kindness,” said the Sage in a mocking tone. “Or perhaps it was an act of selfishness.” His eyes bored into her, “Did you want to ensure he stayed dead?”

“No…I…” stuttered Scarlett.

“Sage she is young, she cant be held accountable for-” began Larik.

“Enough! You will all be silent when I am speaking!”

The Guardian gave a nod and fell silent. The Sage stood up, taking a few steps down towards Scarlett. “You wanted to kill your master didn’t you?” he accused.

“No-no, I didn’t…”

“Lies! You despised him and you wanted to make him suffer!” he took a few more steps, closing the gap between his hulking frame and the trembling Scarlett. Deep inside, she could feel the feral side of her rising with his threatening words. Larik cast her a warning glance but she ignored him. Her hands curled into fists.

“You didn’t attack him through an act of fury. You planned to murder him, and you did so in the cruelest way!” He kept moving down the steps, casting long shadows that swept across the room and up the walls. “You killed an innocent man!”

“He was not an innocent man!” Scarlett hissed.

The Sage paused on the step. “Is that so?” He started to shout. “Perhaps you could enlighten us as to what he did that made you break his hand, stab him in the throat, drink his blood and then snap his neck!”

Scarlett opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She couldn’t bring herself to tell a room full of strangers the intimate details of what the awful man had done to her, what he had taken from her day after day. To say it aloud was to make it real. The shame was still there, lying just beneath all the other emotions that had come with her transformation. After everything she had been through, she knew that a confession of such a nature would be the thing that finally broke her.

So she said nothing.

“See, nothing but lies!” He waved a dismissive hand. “You are nothing but a scorned whore who Richard Clarke decided he no longer wanted to associate with. So in your jealousy you decided to kill him.”

Anger spewed forth from inside Scarlett. “Fuck you, you bastard!”

The Sage gave a dark smile and opened his arms wide. “And there it is! The bitterness. The same bitterness that led you to kill an innocent man!”

“He was not innocent!” she screamed.

“So you say, but yet you cannot-”

“HE WAS A MONSTER!”

The words that escaped from her throat were so loud they echoed around the temple and made even the Sage stiffen.

“HE WAS A MONSTER! HE WAS A MONSTER!” she screamed over and over. The rational side of her started to slip away as the predatory side took over.

“Calm down!” Rachel warned, trying to take hold of Scarlett. The girl ducked to the side and lashed out, raking her fingers across the Guardian’s face. Rachel gasped and clamped a hand over her mouth. Blue blood seeped between her fingers. With a growl she kicked out and sent Scarlett reeling into Seven. He tried to seize her, but she thrust her head backwards into his nose and broke free.

“Restrain her!” bellowed the Sage.

The Guardians closed in around Scarlett like a tightening noose. She whirled around on the spot, hissing and swiping with her clawed hands. One of the Guardians went to grab her into his arms, but she sidestepped his attack and drove her elbow into the side of his head. He staggered, falling to one knee and shaking his head. Scarlett raced towards Larik who had his hands out, trying to reason with her. She pounced at him, gnashing and snarling. He lurched out of her way and she landed in a crouched position of the floor. Snarling, she went for Larik again, but he blocked each punch and kick as if she were no more than a child having a tantrum.

“You must calm down!” he shouted.

Scarlett could no longer be reasoned with. Sensing that he was someone who she could not best, she retreated away, making guttural noises and snarling with fanged teeth. Hands grabbed at her and she screamed in fury, biting and lashing out.

Scarlett you must restrain yourself!” warned Larik, as he removed the remote control from his robe. His words fell on deaf ears. The rational part of her had sunk to the recesses of her mind, driven there by the horror of her situation and the Sage’s cruel words. She bucked and spat, gnashed and flailed as sixteen sets of hands grabbed at her.

“You are Guardians!” bellowed the Sage. “Stop going easy on her!”

Someone seized the back of her neck with iron fingers. Scarlett tried to fight against her assailant but it was like a rabbit trying to break free from a tiger’s jaws. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that the hand belonged to Huntmaster Solignis. He bought his mouth close to her ear. “Miss Reid, please stop this,” he whispered. “I do not wish to harm you, but if you persist with this course of action, I fear there will be no alternative.”

Scarlett’s only response was to let out a piercing shriek. She lashed out at the Huntmaster like a cornered animal, trying to harm him in any way she could. None of her attacks landed.

The Sage turned - his cape sweeping around him like a fan – and walked back up the steps. He sat down in his throne-like chair and his booming voice shuddered through the grand room.

“I grow tired of this Huntmaster. You know what to do.”

Faru raised his shimmering eyes up towards his leader, who was looking on with mild disinterest at the chaotic scene below him. “But Sage Blackwood, she is only a girl.”

“End it. Now.”

The Huntmaster gave a deep sigh.

Scarlett felt herself being hoisted up off the floor. A second later she was slammed into the ground with such force, the tiles beneath her shattered, sending shockwave cracks zigzagging around her like lightning bolts. Agony swept down her spine. Dazed and groaning, she stared up at the Huntmaster as he stared down at her, wearing an expression of reluctance.

“Please forgive me child.”

The Huntmaster’s fists shot out in a blur of motion, hitting deliberate spots with pinpoint precision and sending unimaginable pain sweeping through Scarlett. Her tortured screams descended into coughing as blood sprayed onto her lips. The viper-fast blows continued to rain down on her until all Scarlett knew was pain. Unrivaled, absolute pain.

A moment later it was over.

Scarlett lay on her back, her eyes rolling in her head. A mixture of vomit and blood had spilled from her mouth and onto the golden floor next to her. On the outside, that was the only indication she had been harmed. On the inside, her body was in turmoil. Although her organs no longer functioned as before, they were still connected to her working brain, and her brain was still capable of producing pain. At that moment each one of her organs had been subject to the sort of attack that would have killed a human a thousand times over.

Scarlett could no longer see properly, the faces around her were nothing more than pulsing shadows that drifted in and out of her eyesight. With fading vision she saw the large shape sitting on the chair above her stand up once more.

“Guardian Godren, use the dissuader.”

In the depths of her mind she remembered that the word meant something terrible, but she was too broken to react to anything. The Guardian cast a look down at her with an expression of regret. Scarlett felt searing hot pokers enter her skin. Everything started to go dark, but not before she heard the Sage speak his final words.

“Take her to the Court of Chains.”