Without A Heartbeat

Scarlett left the Court of Chains in a daze.

Things happened quickly after the Huntmaster’s interruption to the sentencing. Sage Blackwood stormed from the courtroom, slamming the doors beyond with such ferocity the sound echoed throughout the entire building. Larik came to Scarlett, holding out his hand. This time she accepted it without question and he helped her step down from the raised cage.

Scarlett walked with the Guardian, following the crowds through the now open door opposite the archway, which lead out onto the precipice of a towering cliff. Nothing but ocean stretched out onto the horizon in all directions – an endless expanse of blue that merged with the dark sky overhead. The Court of Chains towered behind them, the cylindrical building carved from the rock itself. Scarlett doubted that the place she had just narrowly escaped from would feature on any regular map.

Huntmaster Solignis walked on his own ahead, appearing lost within his own thoughts. They took a winding path that led down through the rocks until they reached a dock that stretched out into the sea, the heaving waves still some distance below their feet. The dark mound of a ship was half submerged beneath the water, appearing like hump of a colossal whale. A large waterwheel clung to the side and a triangular fin protruded at the rear, secured by metal struts. Steam hissed from various vents that opened and closed in rhythmic patterns along the very top. Scarlett had not yet seen the bizarre vessel from a distance, but she recognised it and finally understood. The submarine they call the Iron Whale. It’s an underwater ship.

Inside, Scarlett was taken to a chamber of grand contradiction to the gloomy storage hold that she had travelled in on her first journey. A chandelier hung from the ceiling and the marbleized walls were adorned with ornately framed paintings of grand men and women. Instead of windows, several round portholes with decorative flourishes had been set at even intervals around the room.

“Take a seat if you wish, Miss Reid,” said Larik gesturing towards the many chairs and settees that filled the space.

“Call me Scarlett,” she said. Scarlett sat on a chaise longue, situated behind a low table that contained a vase full of pretty flowers. Larik gave her a smile and settled himself into one of the adjacent chairs.

As the other six Guardians walked into the room, Scarlett took in the rest of her surroundings. A wall at the opposite end was dedicated to a run of bookshelves that held more novels than she could ever hope to read in a lifetime. In one corner of the room stood a beautiful grand piano made from dark wood that matched the flooring. Rachel settled herself on the piano stool, leaning one arm against the lid of the instrument and staring into space.

Huntmaster Solignis came into the room last of all and the two agents Scarlett had met before closed the doors behind him. He sat down in a chair opposite the girl, folding his hands together and regarding her with a faint hint of a smile. She tensed, remembering the stone fists that had pummeled into her body and reduced her to a quivering echo of a person. However, as she looked into the white eyes, she felt her intimidation fade away. There was something soothing about his presence this time, as if he were radiating calmness.

“I am sure you have many questions for me,” he said.

Scarlett sat up straight. “You are going to tell me anything I want to know?”

He nodded. “You have been kept in the dark too long. Anything you wish to ask, I will answer if I am able.”

Scarlett nodded. There was no hint of falseness on the Huntmaster’s face and she harboured no anger towards him – the time for anger had passed.

“What happened in the courtroom? Why did the Magistratus let me go?” she asked.

“I invoked an old custom of our organisation. One that has not been used for a long time, yet still stands. If someone within a position of authority in our organisation calls for the Right of Burden to be passed to them, then the affected party becomes their ward. All previous transgressions are nullified and all future ones become answerable by the custodian. I am now responsible for you Miss Reid.”

Scarlett could scarcely believe what she was hearing. The Huntmaster had saved her from death and no doubt risked falling out of favour with his Sage as a result. All so that he would become accountable for her actions.

“Why?” she breathed.

The Huntmaster’s smile faded. “Sage Blackwood is a hard man whose political agendas outweigh his compassion. It is only through lack of choice that we all follow him. You have suffered much Miss Reid, including by my own hand, of which I am truly sorry. When I saw that one of my own Guardians was willing to stand against my Sage to try and save you, only to then be overruled, it became apparent that I had to take action. I could not stand by to watch your suffering end in tragedy.”

Words failed Scarlett. In her fear, she had painted every member of the organisation apart from Larik with the same brush. To her they were all cruel and without mercy, like the Sage. However, she now realised they were just people like her, capable of being hard and cold, but also kind and caring.

“Thank you so much, Huntmaster Solignis.”

He waved a hand. “Solignis is a battle name given to me long ago. It is no more representative of who I am than the numbers I assign my Guardians.” He leaned forward and smiled. “I am speaking with you now not as a Huntmaster, but as a friend. Please call me Faru.”

For the first time in as long as she could remember, Scarlett found herself smiling too. “Thank you Faru, you can call me Scarlett.”

“A pleasure to meet you properly, Scarlett.”

The Iron Whale shuddered, making the china cups rattle together and the lights from the chandelier flicker, as if they were somehow drawing power from the ship. A series of cranks and groans filled the room and then Scarlett felt the drag as the giant vessel sank under the waves.

The Huntmaster smiled. “I am sure you are thirsty after your ordeal.” He turned to the Guardian with the black beard. “Atticus, please could you fetch Scarlett something to drink?” The man nodded and disappeared from the room.

“What else do you wish to know?” asked Faru, turning back around and steepling his fingers together.

There was one question that had been on her lips since the moment the Silver-Eyed Man had sank his fangs deep into her neck and she had awoken on the other side of an awful nightmare full of pain and fire.

“Am I a Vampire?” she breathed.

“Yes.”

Scarlett gave a choking gasp, covering her mouth with her hand and shaking her head in disbelief. It’s true. I prayed it wasn’t but it is.

“Why? Why did God forsake me?” she said holding her head in her hands.

“Oh my poor child, you have been forsaken by no one.”

Scarlett raised her head, blinking back the sting of tears. “What do you mean?”

“Vampires are not denizens of the Devil as literature would have you believe. You are no more forsaken by your god than any of us are by ours. I can assure you that you still have a soul. It is only your body that has changed, reborn into something new and immortal.”

“I still have a soul?” she whispered.

Faru smiled. “Most certainly. I can see it right now.”

Scarlett felt a wave of relief wash over her. “Can I die?”

“You most certainly can, but no longer through aging.”

“So my soul is not bound for Hell when my death comes?”

“The soul is eternal Scarlett, although after being reborn many times over it eventually departs the mortal plane. No one can say with any certainty where it eventually goes. However, I can say that you are no more likely to be taken to a place of damnation than anyone else.”

Scarlett let out a laugh as a tear trailed down her cheek. “Thank God.”

Atticus returned, carrying a small silver tray balancing a glass tumbler and a carafe filled with blood. He set the tray down on the table and poured a glass, before handing it to Scarlett. She took it with a smile and drank, sighing as the warm liquid ignited her senses and gave clarity to her weary mind. When she had finished, she set the glass down and wiped the remnants from her mouth. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” said Faru.

“Who are you all, and what do you really do?” she asked after a moment.

“Ah, that is the grand question and for that I shall need you to keep a very open mind.”

“I’m a Vampire who drinks human blood. I feel that requires me to open it as wide as possible.” A faint chorus of laughter rang from the Guardians dotted around the room. Faru nodded as a glimmer of a smile appeared on his face. Scarlett drew forward and pointed towards the carafe. “May I?”

“Please be my guest.”

Scarlett poured herself a second glass and drank a small amount. Clasping the tumbler in both hands, she lowered it to her lap and waited for Faru to speak. He drew his legs up onto the seat and sat with them folded underneath himself, something that Scarlett knew was the height of rudeness in high society. I don’t think that normal rules apply to these people.

“Earth is twin to another planet called Pandemonia.”

The bluntness of his statement caught Scarlett completely unaware and she almost spilled her drink. “What?”

“As I said, you must keep an open mind. Pandemonia is a world where many sentient species such as myself, Rachel and Idith originate.” He gestured around at Rachel - who gave a slight wave - and then at a hulking woman who only very narrowly fit the definition of a female. The Guardian had a squat nose and a square jaw, as well as hands that would have dwarfed most men’s. “Our world is embroiled in a never ending conflict known as the Ageless War. It is a horrific struggle of conflicting ideologies that has been raging as long as anyone can recall, and something that I myself was once involved in.”

Faru paused, running a finger and thumb through his long, silver beard as if contemplating how best to continue. Scarlett’s was silent as the gravity of his words pressed down on her. She raised the trembling glass to her lips and took a sip purely because she didn’t know what else to do with herself.

“Over time several species attempted to escape the war by escaping through sections of an primordial doorway known as the Veil. Those doorways led here, to Earth.”

“Like Vampires?” Scarlett asked in a ragged breath.

“Indeed, although not Vampires like you. However, it was they who created the first Bloodling Vampires, which is what you are.”

Bloodling. Scarlett stared down at the claret liquid that filled her glass and felt a wave of nausea. It had become a part of her new nature that she had just accepted without much thought. “The name fits,” she said with a hint of distaste, setting her glass back down on the tray.

Faru paused for a moment as if waiting for a response. “It’s alright, please continue,” she said and he gave a nod.

“The first species to arrive through were the Elementals and Dragons.”

“Dragons?” Scarlett spluttered.

Faru nodded. “As hard as it is to believe, they once existed. No longer and for that we are all grateful. They were dark gods who unlike their Elemental counterparts had no desires beyond destruction and chaos. It is they who set about razing Earth to the ground.”

“H-how were they stopped?” asked Scarlett, holding onto the edge of the chaise for support.

“The arrival of Pandemonian forces in your world bought about an instant, unexplainable evolution in the human race. These Awakenings as they are known caused specific humans to develop strength, speed and skills that defied explanation. These people were called the Chosen.” Once again he turned in his seat and gestured towards Atticus and the other man who had convinced the passengers of the train to depart with his odd words. “Atticus and Joseph are both modern day Chosen.” The two men gave Scarlett signs of acknowledgement and then busied themselves once more with pretending they were not listening to the conversation taking place.

“With the aid of the Elementals, the Chosen were able to unite and defeat the Dragon gods, restoring order to your world. In turn the Chosen formed an Alliance. It was once an elitist organisation that hunted down all species who were not human and cruelly eradicated them. However, more recently it has evolved into a more inclusive organisation, dedicated to preserving all ways of life and maintaining peace in this world, while the war wages on in Pandemonia.”

“That organisation is this one, the one that you are all a part of,” said Scarlett in a matter of fact tone.

Faru nodded. “Indeed. Our organisation is called the Human and Supernatural Entity Alliance, or HASEA as it is more commonly known. It is the task of our organisation to monitor and enforce rules on all species that are not native to Earth, as well as the subsequent Hybrids created through their intermingling with the human race.”

“Hybrids…you mean like me?”

“Yes.”

“What of the Silver-Eyed Man? He is a hybrid too?”

Faru looked puzzled for a moment and then he seemed to understand. “You mean Gabriel Quinn, the madman who bit you.”

Scarlett felt her stomach lurch at the sound of his real name spoken aloud. It sprang so lightly from the Huntmaster’s tongue, but the weight of it was almost crushing to the girl.

“His name sounds so…normal.”

“As was he once I suspect. Unfortunately those who live long enough without positive guidance may see themselves lean towards madness and evil.”

Like I could one day.

Scarlett was silent for a moment as she let everything the Huntmaster had revealed to her settle in her mind. She expected fear and confusion but was surprised to find that she actually felt relieved. It was being in the dark that had made her afraid, the enigma of what was happening around her. To be offered clarity was like breaking though a mire of cloying mud and breathing air for the first time. However, there was still one thing that she did not yet know and it was the most important to her of all.

“Have you caught him yet?” she asked.

“Unfortunately Gabriel has as yet remained elusive.” Faru leaned forward over the table and placed a hand on Scarlett’s. She was surprised that it felt warm on hers – she had resigned herself to never feeling proper temperature again. “I promise you Scarlett, we will find him and he will pay for what he did to you. Do you believe me?” The girl stared at the Huntmaster and saw absolute truth and determination written there.

“I believe you.”

Faru smiled. “That is good to hear.” He cleared his throat and looked awkward for a moment. “I also need you to understand that although Master Clarke was a benefactor to the Alliance, his actions were unforgivable. I am not condoning what you did, but I want you to know that I understand why you did it.”

“Thank you,” Scarlett said with a nod.

“In the courtroom you mentioned something about another girl?”

“Yes. I think that you need to investigate the woods close to Oakley Manor. Gabriel told me that Master Clarke buried her body there somewhere after he accidently killed her.”

The Huntmaster glanced around at the Guardians, before shaking his head. “That sickens me. Thank you for telling me, I will have the Alliance Outpost that operates in that area investigate so that her remains can be found and she can receive a proper burial.”

A series of cranking sounds came from within the depths of the Iron Whale and Scarlett could feel the lift as it started to rise from the depths of the sea. Through the portholes Scarlett could see shoaling fish of all colours flit away from the mammoth submarine as it climbed. After a few moments there was a jerk that sent the vase rattling against the table and the blood in her glass wading up the sides. Dark waves lapped against the porthole and she realised they had broken surface.

“I expect you have many more questions, however we have arrived back in London.” He stood up and Scarlett stood with him. “Rachel please fetch me a handbook.”

“Of course, Faru.”

The Guardian moved over to the bookshelves and ran her finger along the titles until she found what she was looking for. Pulling a book out, she returned and handed it to her leader.

“You sound like an educated girl, I have no doubt that you can read,” he said handing the book over to her. “So read this. It is a slightly outdated copy, but it should answer most of your questions.”

Scarlett looked down at the leather book in her hands. The title was printed in gilt lettering on the front: ’The Hasea Handbook: The Whys and Wherefores of Conduct and Survival in an Abundant Species Environment.’ She flicked open the pages and was shocked when she saw it was almost identical to the one that Rupert had shown her in his room at the manor. The only real difference was that the words were printed in English.

“Master Clarke had one of these in his house,” she said closing the book.

“I am not surprised. As I already mentioned he was a benefactor of ours, however, I have heard from my colleagues that he was unhealthily obsessed with all facets of our organisation and wanted to know everything that we did. He must have paid a large sum for one of these books, as we certainly would not have given him one.”

Scarlett let the hand holding the book fall to her side. “When can I return to Ireland?”

Faru glanced away for a moment. “Unfortunately Scarlett, it is not that simple. The Right of Burden does not allow you to go free, as you would have if you had been given leniency. You are now my responsibility until the day one of us dies.”

Scarlett’s face crumbled at his words. I can’t go home. “I had hopes that I would be able to return to my family. Are you saying you will not allow me to do that?” she said in a wavering voice.

Faru raised his hands in a placating way. “Not at all. However, as your custodian I must be able to prove to the Magistratus that you pose no risk to humans before he will sign a document that gives you the right to live your life free from my command. You are still too young a Vampire and under the influence of the Fury for me to be able to make that case.”

“What must I do to make that happen?” she asked.

“Your rebirth recovery and training is our upmost priority. Once that is done and you have proven to me and my Sage that you have enough control over yourself to not to land me in the Court of Chains with your actions, I will speak to the Magistratus and request that he allow you to part my company. At that point if you still wish to return home, I will have the Iron Whale take you to Ireland myself.”

Scarlett nodded at his words. They were fair and she could not deny the underlining sentiment behind them. I am still too dangerous. As much as she wanted to return to her family - praying that when she told them what had happened they would welcome her with open arms – she knew that she could not trust herself. The image of her attack on Connor still lingered in her memory, and would until her soul departed her body. I will not allow myself to see them while there is the slightest chance I could harm them.

A horn blasted from somewhere and the Guardians began to leave the chamber. Through the open door she saw droves of people emerging from a number of different rooms and heading for the stairs that led outside.

“We will take you to our base of operations, where you can change and rest ready for tomorrow morning,” Faru said as he motioned for Scarlett to follow him out.

“What happens tomorrow morning?” she asked. The Huntmaster stopped short at the door and turned to face her, a smile on his face.

“The start of your new life.”