Book Two Chapter One: Questions

After Nick's return from the Hemlon explosion, he is reunited with Kaleen. Kaleen fills him in on what happened while he was on Ectoclis and Artemis.

Book Two: Soldier of Destiny

By Ryan David Henderson

Chapter One Questions: I had waited through the night. It is now morning so I am hiding in the basement, out of the way of the golden sun's gaze. As I sit down here, I thought about my past, and of all of the things that were left unsolved. I pulled the two shards of the Essence of Life, which had stayed in my pocket after the explosion at Hemlon. What ever happened to presenting the Essence of Life to the White Reqrium? I think that one was out of the question. And Anara? She was left back with the vampire council. I didn't know why. So many things were left unsolved when I was turned. The only good thing about the change was seeing Kaleen for the first time in years. We had a little catching up to do, or so I thought. I thought I would return human and... Alive. I had asked her how Saja had died, she said that she was told that she was killed off in the explosion. I didn’t know where she got that information, but I believed it, I didn't know why I did, Saja was notoriously hard to kill, was it possible that she was actually dead? Or was that just the naive hope for freedom talking?

 

***     

 

In a few more hours, Kaleen came back. I assumed it was nightfall, because that's when she said that she'd return. Kaleen sat in a chair across from me. I saw my opportunity and I blurted out my questions.

"What happened to the White Reqrium? What of The Subspace Corruptor? What of the Essence of Life? Did-"

She cut me off with a wave of her hand.

"Yes, everything is fine. Saja is dead, the Essence of Life’s shards’ location is unknown, but the shards that Saja had in her possession when she died are probably still on her body, wherever it is now. I am sure the vampire council knows, seeing as they confirmed her death, and The Subspace Corruptor is in the hands of the vampire council.” Kaleen explained.

I pulled out my two shards of the Essence of Life.

“I collected these on Artemis, along with some friends that I made there and along with some friends I made on Ectoclis.” I told her.

Her eyes widened when she saw the two shards of the Essence of Life.

“Wow! I have never seen one of those up close before. I have only heard the legend!” Kaleen said in awe.

Kaleen closed her eyes and shook her head.

“Did I hear you correctly on that last part?” She asked.

“On what last part?” I asked her.

“On the part where you said you travelled to Artemis and Ectoclis.” Kaleen said.

I nodded.

“Yes, you heard me correctly. Why?” I asked.

Kalen grinned at me.

“The vampire council told me of your journey across time and space to Artemis and Ectoclis. They told me that they have informants all over those two worlds. They have been keeping tabs on you and on the people who you journeyed with. When they told me of your adventures, I was relieved to hear that you were alive, but I did not believe them about the ‘multiple worlds’ concept until they took me to Artemis and Ectoclis and I got to see for myself.” Kaleen said.

“Wow! You got to see Artemis and Ectoclis? What did you think?” I asked.

“Well, Ectoclis was a little too… Medieval for me. They had no electronics and no modern conveniences. I got to see the village of Libel, but that is all. The vampire council showed me Artemis next, and I saw the city of Sven. I liked Artemis much better than Ectoclis because it was so much more technologically advanced. Other than that, I did not see much of those worlds. What are they really like?” Kaleen asked.

I took in what she said.

“Well, Ectoclis is a medieval world filled with wonders. There are vampires, werewolves, humans, Kerulen and I even saw an angel once. The angels are used to purify a vampire in the Ritual of Turlock.” I explained.

Kaleen smiled. I could see her slender fangs.

“What else can you tell me of Ectoclis? Can you tell me about the magic?” She asked.

“Well, magic on Ectoclis is used to make magical shields. Saja used these on herself and on Luna when they attacked my friends and I. Magic is also used for healing wounds, creating fireballs, and for creating lightning. It could have other uses, but those are the main uses that I have seen magic serve.” I explained.

“That is fascinating. What can you tell me of Artemis?” Kaleen asked.

“Artemis is a world where the year is nineteen thirty. Vampires exist on Artemis. Magic also exists on Artemis and has the same functions as it has on Ectoclis. Artemis has inventions like airships, bombs, guns, swords and cars.” I explained.

“Artemis sounds like an interesting place.” Kaleen said in wonder.

“It is like Earth in nineteen thirty.” I said.

“Yes, but Artemis sounds more fascinating than Ectoclis.” Kaleen said.

“Well, we can debate about what world is better later. Do you know of any other loose ends that were left untied?” I asked Kaleen.

“Well, everything is under control except for Anara. She had to have her left leg replaced with a metal one, and her leg got crushed by a girder that fell on top of her in Hemlon during the explosion. She had the metal leg covered up with her pants back at the vampire council’s lair. She wanted to show you it in private later." Kaleen said.

I nodded, taking in this new information. I felt slightly guilty about Anara's leg, after all I had pressed that button back at Hemlon. It was my fault that the cansodin exploded.

"I feel awful about hunting the other night." I said, trying to take my mind off of Anara and off of my guilt.

"You get used to it." Kaleen explained.

Her words removed some of my guilt for killing innocent people. I then smelled one of the sweetest scents that I had ever smelt. It was blood, I knew it. I had smelled a scent just like it the night before when I was hunting. It was definitely the smell of blood. I then heard Anara come through the door at the top of the stairs. Anara walked down the stairs and came into view at the bottom of the staircase a few feet away from me. The smell of her blood was as sweet as ever right now. Kaleen glared at her.

"Anara! I told you to wait with the vampire council!" hissed Kaleen. 

Anara glared at me.

"I wanted to see Nick, and thank him for his recklessness."

She pointed to her metal leg, and she put sarcastic emphasis of the word 'thank.'

"You cost me my leg! I layed there in Hemlon for what seemed like hours! In pain, suffering, praying that vampires would not have me as a last meal. I was smart enough to crawl over to a corner and sit there, but a metal rafter fell and almost killed me! It was there that I lost my leg. It was crushed beneath that girder." Anara said.

Her voice was filled with almost pure hatred towards me.

"How did you get out of the blast alive?" I asked, baffled.

Anara gave a full recap of her escape from Hemlon:

"Well, just before the blast hit, the room temperature rose, I am sure you were awake for that, I then crawled up the stairs, because my leg had been crushed moments before, I managed to get free, but my leg was totally useless. Coolant was released into the room, but it did little to ease the superheated temperature, I climbed higher, to the room with the button in it, and Federov was there. He told me to hug him, which I did. He shielded me from the blast, I guess vampire skin is pretty tough, I then heard the explosion, my ears rang for a long while, and then before I knew it, I was falling. I was falling through open air because the ground was blown away from beneath me. Federov was gone, who knows where the explosion sent him? I fell onto an airship sent from Sven. I later found out that Sven had received a distress signal from Hemlon minutes before. I was somehow brought to this strange world by a strange swirling vortex. A woman told me that I could return to Artemis once it was safe again. I jumped through the vortex, blacked out and then woke up with a metal leg. I saw it, and then I remembered your reckless little plan, and how you pressed that button." Anara's glare grew more intense on me with every passing word, making me sink back into my chair ever so slightly.

"Calm down." Kaleen told Anara.

Anara ignored Kaleen and went on.

"Yes, I could have helped you but oh, did I enjoy watching you twist and jerk in agony, and the way you shrieked, it made my suffering all worth it, I hope you suffered as I did, you monster." Anara finished, her glare was so intense now that there may as well have been a smoldering ember behind each of her eyes.

I thought about her words. I did not remember myself shrieking when I was in Hemlon. I must have been pretty out of it.

Kaleen grabbed Anara’s arm.

"Anara, go home now." Kaleen told her.

Anara didn't move.

"Anara, you should go to sleep, it is late." Suggested Kaleen.

Kaleen released Anara's arm and Anara walked away, she did not give me a break from her death stare. She held my gaze until she reached the top of the stairs. She then walked away, disappearing from sight. Kaleen looked at me.

"I have to go now, I must speak with the vampire council about a pressing matter. Stay here, and don't even think about hunting. You are new to being a vampire and you may be seen by someone." Ordered Kaleen.

“What is the pressing matter?” I asked.

“It is none of your concern. It is not quite nightfall, but I shall return tomorrow night and we will talk again.” Kaleen said.

“Alright, goodbye Kaleen.” I said.

Author's Note

Please tell me what you think :)

Reviews

[Dot]

Greetings Mr.Henderson

Firstly, I must say I'm not accustomed to this genre, and have never really found an appeal towards this whole "vampire" business, it just seems a little...unimaginative - the concept that is ... purely the conceited meaning behind what all elements of the genre express... "immortality, fangs, romance between afflicted and un-afflicted, the burning of skin upon the sun's gaze", all samples of things I'd imagine give some such great joy ... but me ... none.

I feel as though I should have detailed that to begin with, just so you understand my personal bias and outlook on the genre; it seems only fair. Saying all of what's been previously stated, I do find a certain appeal to your WRITING (sorry I can't do italics in these review boxes), as obviously opposed to the subject matter you write. Indeed, there seems an enticing innocence of your writing, as if you mind and thoughts have not been swayed by any negative influence, and all you think and do is from your core unaffected by others: (I feel an urge to repeat the example I quoted earlier about the afflicted and un-afflicted natures of vampire and human...yet I shall not allow myself to do so...to late I suppose.)

Written with a delicacy I have not seen quite as conspicuously unobtrusive before, it's almost as if the author had composed this piece with the finest of quills upon the roughest of stone, ensuring that no unnecessary word was written for fear of snapping the quill. Indeed, one feels as if one should keep a certain distance from the piece, but this is ultimately conflicting, because the only reason one wishes to do so, is because the style is so innocent, one only suspects that there simply must be some kind of suspicious agenda developing behind the formalities; an infestation growing behind the shutters. So why does one continue reading? Curiosity? Perhaps. A need to follow the storyline? Perhaps. But I personally think that the reader wishes to do so from a kind of autosadism; a wanting to torture oneself by means of incomprehension.

Of course, it leads one to want more, and the author definitely has a task on their hands, and a tough one at that. This expectation from the reader creates for the author a profound task to attend to; continue the illusory innocence and rip it away at the end for a finalé, or act as if it never was to begin with, expressing to the reader that 'twas but the paranoia of their selves?

I really enjoyed your style, and I think I would go further and say that although I dislike this genre, I would continue reading for this curious style of yours. Really good work Mr Henderson, and from the amount of writing you have uploaded, and the fact that they are structured very nicely, I would hazard a guess and say that the means you go about writing, and the time you must spend doing do expressing a profound love for the art. Definitely continue on my friend, your talent is obvious, and if you stick at it, I'm sure you shall go far, if you're not already that is.

Thank you for this, and I will make sure to read more.

Ta ta.

[Ryan Henderson]

Thank you so much for this positive feedback! If you would like to follow the story from the beginning, like you said you would like to read more, you can read book one, book three is coming along really nicely, it is just below fifty pages and is around halfway done. I am so glad that you liked the story and my style of writing, I tried to maintain the air of innocence so as not to overwhelm the reader. Thank you again for the feedback, it really helps! :)

[John Mcnab]

Very good introduction to book two! The beginning here is seamlessly connected to the end of book one, not a lot of time passed between the end of book one and the start of book two, I like that. I also love your character development, your detail, your writing style and your talent. Keep writing!

[Coyote Poetry]

You put a lot in the opening chapter. I like the description. Making each place come alive in thoughts and visions. You have good characters and storyline. I like how you led to the strong ending. Thank you for sharing the story. The story held my attention. I will keep reading.
Coyote

[Ryan Henderson]

Thank you for reviewing! I am glad that the story held your attention, and I am glad that you like the story overall, if you like this just ait for book three, it is easily five times better than book two, and maybe twice as good as book one.

[Coyote Poetry]

I will come back in a few days and read more. Your stories are good. Key to a story is good description. You do this very well.

[Ryan Henderson]

Thank you! since you like the stories so much, I will post the first chapter (probably the other chapters that are done) and they will be on my profile in a few minutes.