Authors: Aiden James
The thing looked like a pterodactyl, with a wingspan of over twenty feet. It had the classic reddish bony knob on the back of its head, and a long, narrow beak filled with sharp needle-like teeth—the biggest damned flying lizard I’d ever seen.
But, that was not the most frightening aspect of this thing. It was taking me somewhere at an incredible rate of speed. Perhaps to its nest where it could feed me to its young? Or, maybe to the deepest, rocky chasm to dump me into, and let natural forces tenderize my flesh. Either way, all I knew at that moment was Xu Zheng Palace and the icy precipice it sat upon were growing smaller and smaller in the distance behind us. Very soon, the realm of vampires that were also dragons in the daylight would be visible no more.
Chapter 8
It would be near impossible for me to guess as to how long this pterodactyl-looking thing carried me through the air. Was it an hour or two? Or, maybe it was almost three? A better way for me to describe my trip is to detail what we passed and how the incredibly brisk air at the outset of the trip steadily became warmer. Warmer, I should say, especially after we left the glacial region of the Himalayas, and by my best guess headed south.
Traveling over ever-thickening forests, the foliage became less pine needles and more broad-leafed trees. I could see an abundance of rivers and streams below me, along with occasional ponds and lakes. My captor’s flying altitude steadily dropped once we exited the mountain region, and by the time we reached a sparsely human populated sub-tropical area that followed a beautiful winding river, we hovered less than a hundred feet above the ground. Not that I felt any safer since the creature was still traveling extremely fast, but at least I was no longer looking down at gorges and other chasms several thousand feet deep.
Other than the steady flapping of its wings, the flying lizard had been relatively quiet. But, suddenly it screeched loudly and dove toward a jungle near the river. I feared this might be where its lair lay hidden, and tried to stay alert in case a brief opportunity to escape presented itself. It sped even faster, and I thought for sure I’d crash into the trees. Somehow it managed to maneuver through the branches and it emerged next to the river, where its wings fully extended and it coasted. When we came upon a roped wooden walkway, the creature dropped me gently onto a white sand beach next to the river.
Surprised to find warm sand under my knees and fingers, my aching joints found comfort. For a moment, I forgot about the flying lizard, or the fact it would likely come back for me. I felt strangely at peace, as if I’d recently returned home from a long arduous journey.
While marveling about how the area carried such a settled spirituality, I saw a white-haired naked man carrying a small gray pack with him as he moved quickly out of the sun’s direct reach and into the pristine jungle less than fifty feet away. I recalled seeing the pack tied around the creature’s neck earlier.
There was something familiar about the man, and my mind was already putting two and two together. As for the pterodactyl’s presence, for all I could tell the damned thing had left the area. I held out hope that it had vanished for good.
“Txema…come here…. Move quickly!”
Kazikli??
I couldn’t believe it—it sure as hell sounded like the vampire that had recently taken a keen interest in my plight. He had the same white hair and muscular build, too, although I hadn’t seen his naked backside before. But at least I would be right in my assumption that his youthfulness extended to a firm and toned body. Only the white hair made him look older. But nowhere near as old as a normal middle-aged man would appear. ‘Thirty’ish Sam Elliot’ was the way Tyreen had described him when she first encountered Kazikli that first night at Xu Zheng Palace.
“Kazikli…is that really you?” I staggered to my feet and walked over to where I had last seen him.
I figured he must’ve moved deeper into the shade after what we’d both witnessed earlier that day. I doubt this very ancient vampire ever worried about someone like Abraham Van Helsing trying to kill him. But playing in the bright light of day appeared to be a unanimously excruciating experience for any vampire, regardless of age.
I pursued him into the coolness provided by the canopy of thick branches and leaves. It surprised me that I was actually happy for the slightly cooler temperature away from the sunlight after enduring sub-freezing temperatures earlier without a coat. The scent of fresh apples and spice grew stronger, and Kazikli soon appeared before me.
Dressed in a Buddhist monk’s robe—one of the ‘triple robes’ I had learned about in a high school social studies class—he smiled and motioned for me to join him near a small fire pit with wooden benches on either side. Thick bamboo canes surrounded the area, and dense foliage from several banyan trees effectively blocked the sun’s rays from reaching the area. I wasn’t sure if this was a private sanctuary for this mysterious vampire, or if it belonged to someone else and he simply brought me here for a chat.
It all seemed terribly weird to me: the desperate rescue from death, the dangerous and weary flight to wherever this place was, and now a little ‘get together’ with an ancient vampire turned ascetic monk. Kazikli chuckled as he sat down, his gorgeous blue eyes filled with mirth.
“Txema, you certainly must be wondering why I brought you here.” He straightened his robes to where the only flesh I could see, in addition to his neck and face, were the tops of his feet and his lower arms. The main robe was bright yellow, and the one tied around his waist like a sarong was a reddish purple. A thick orange robe hung over his left shoulder—equally effective for a privileged follower of Caesar back in the day or a modern-day Tibetan monk. “Why here in a remote jungle instead of finding a modern facility like the Marriot or Residence Inn in your country…correct?”
“That’s a good place to start, I guess.” I frowned as I looked out through the trees toward the white sand beach and the swirling waters in the river next to it. “I’ve never seen this river before, not even pictures in a magazine or on the Discovery Channel…. Where are we, exactly?”
“We’re in Nepal, near a small remote village that I’m quite fond of, and that’s just north of the country’s southern border.” He smiled proudly. “The river you see is the Kosi River—one of the few in the world with miles of white sand beaches. All that surrounds us are jungles and majestic mountains in the distance. Very few human beings reside here. If it wasn’t so hard to get to, it would make one hell of a resort, don’t you think?”
“If the food has some variety it would definitely be an upgrade over the Motel 6 we’ve been staying at,” I deadpanned. Peering up at the purple and blue mountains in the distance, the white peaks looked as if the clouds in the sky and the sprawling snowcaps were merged into one seamless connection. Like the cover to a fantasy novel. “But…hey, wait. How did you even get here? Did you have something to do with that flying reptile?”
My mind had begun to clear, and the questions were now lining up.
“Ah, Txema, we have serious things to discuss,” he said, his brow furrowed for a moment as if disappointed in what I asked. The playful glint in his eyes said otherwise. “Do you really need for me to spell out how you and I got here?”
He brought out the light gray pouch and casually tossed it at my feet.
“There’s a change of clothes for you in there. The people you’ll be staying with until the birth of your child are flexible with some Western customs, but not when it comes to attire.”
I was about to say something smart-ass, but then what should have been easy finally blasted its way into my head.
“That thing was
you??”
I almost choked on the words, and yet it was so damned obvious.
“Yes, it was me,” he admitted. He wore an even bigger look of pride, as if what he’d accomplished was indeed a feat of wonder and deserved praise for its sheer brilliance. “First time ever as a pterodactyl, and I’m especially pleased that what I remembered one to look like turned out fairly accurate!”
“Does that mean you are like the others back there at the palace—the ones that like to eat young mothers in front of their children?”
“I must admit that keeping you safe from harm is a wearisome employment!” he said, for the moment ignoring my question, yet showing no sign he took offense to it. “For weeks Xuanxang and I have slept lightly during the day while we waited and listened.”
“Listened to what, for Christ’s sake?” I responded angrily. “Do you mean ‘listened while that poor woman was slaughtered’, and perhaps others like her? How many orphans does Xuanxang need to run Huangtian Dadi’s palace??”
“I care not for the sacrifice of the innocent any more than you do, Txema.”
The glint in his eyes disappeared, and he regarded me evenly. But unlike other experiences I’ve had with angered vampires, this one remained calm. In fact, the only time I had seen Kazikli completely enraged was in France, when he chided Gustav in public for not taking enough steps to protect the European nation of vampires from Ralu’s rapid advances against them.
“You should know that Gustav, Xuanxang, and I had formed an alliance to make sure you were never harmed by the growing insurgence among the Order of the Dragon,” he continued. “Those vampires are not many, and most of them have already defected to Ralu. The two dozen residing in Huangtian Dadi’s realm, unfortunately, do have their Emperor’s support, which Xuanxang shared with me after the Christmas Eve incident. Gustav wanted to keep you at Xu Zheng Palace despite my desire to move you immediately to a safer location. My king, however, did agree to keep a watchful eye on you and your continual whereabouts and Xuanxang did, too. Xuanxang has risked his very vampire life since being your guardian is in direct insubordination against the Emperor’s demand for neutrality.”
Huh??
“So, let me get this straight,” I said, sitting up stiffly on my bench. “Gustav arranged for all of us—including me and all of the surviving vampires from the attack on Racco’s castle—to reside with this Huangtian Dadi jerk, who really doesn’t give a rat’s ass what happens to any of us. I mean, think about it. All he cares about is not offending a small group of evil vampires that have basically set up free child slavery for him. And, as far as Gustav is concerned? Well that fucker has always given me the creeps. He’ll never get his teeth into me or my little girl’s neck—
ever!!
He can fucking dry up and start looking like his brother, Ralu, for all I care!”
I felt incredible rage, and if I hadn’t finished what I wanted to say right then, I’m sure to God I would’ve started shrieking at Kazikli. Meanwhile, he regarded me calmly, and with more compassion than he had even a moment ago when I first became aggressive.
“I understand your hostility toward Huangtian Dadi—truly I do, Txema,” he said, choosing his words carefully. “He can be far worse than what you can imagine. I’m speaking from experience that runs well over two thousand years. He is as powerful as Gustav, and perhaps even older. If Huangtian Dadi decided he no longer needed commerce with us for any reason, he could single-handedly destroy us all. So, young lady, be careful of what you say about him. The oldest vampires have abilities the rest of us can only envy. You’ve already experienced that with Ralu, from what Chanson told me. Huangtian Dadi has more power than Ralu could ever dream of having…unless one’s growing army counts for anything. If that’s the case, then things are becoming equal quickly. Hence, the need to be extra nice to your Chinese host, should you ever see him again.”
Kazikli didn’t have to go into detail about Ralu’s dealings with me to get his point across. The memories of being repeatedly taunted and murdered in the dreamlike visions before Relance de sang brought me peace were still fresh. When I was foolish enough to think about them during the daytime, while my protectors slept, I sometimes felt as if Ralu had found me again, and was already lurking in the Palace shadows. Even now as Kazikli and I silently studied each other, a smooth breeze moved through the trees around us, causing us both to look around cautiously.
“Like I said, be careful of the words you speak when dealing with any of the oldest vampires, Txema—remember that always.”
“Okay,” I agreed, and then imitated something I used to see my mother’s youngest sister do when she stepped on someone’s toes in the family. “I’m so sorry Huangtian Dadi, and Gustav—I didn’t mean to offend you. Oh, and be sure to give my love to Ralu, as well!”
“Txema!”
Kazikli eyed me seriously, although a glint of amusement was back in those beautiful blue peepers again.
“All right, I’ll quit,” I said, and then moved on down the growing list of questions I had for this particular immortal. “So, you said the pterodactyl was something you just came up with to transform yourself into. I take it that you’ve been doing this for a while. How did that happen, and can the others like Chanson do it, too?”
“Yes, I have been doing such tricks for a long time—actually longer than I’ve been a vampire,” he told me. The air around us had grown colder, and he seemed to notice. He smiled at me impishly and then waved his hand over the fire pit and whispered a quick incantation that I only caught a few syllables from. Immediately, the partially burnt logs and remaining coals from previous fires sprung to life. “Long ago, I had reached the pinnacle of success as a magician in Xerxes’ court.”