Children of Semyaza Page 13

  Garrick obliged at once. He threw one of the blades toward his opponent, taking him by surprise. Octavius swiftly hit it away but did not expect Garrick to catch it in midair and resume his attack with an even greater confidence. He spun and twirled them both, slightly confusing his opponent who, for the first time since they had started, struggled to block his attacks. Octavius managed to jump out of his way at some point, but Garrick followed at once. It became clear to Octavius that he could not hold back any longer. Judging there was no need for that, he ordered his Assenter to stop.

  “I’ve seen enough, Garrick,” he said as he headed back to the wall to mount his sword. As he did this, he noticed the roughened sword edges from the impact with Garrick’s blades. He was not surprised. He knew the metal from which they were made.

  “I love these!” Garrick declared as he spun them effortlessly. “I feel like I’ve used them my whole life!”

  Octavius took one of them from him and observed it carefully. “These are the Chi Masamune, but Volant renamed them the Blood Cravers.” Garrick looked at the one he was holding and realized why they felt so familiar. He had seen them before. “Volant never told me how he came to possess them. He called them gifts from his fallen comrades. But they are, undoubtedly, Shimshonite weapons.” He returned the blade. “And it seems you have an innate proclivity for using them. Yet another confirmation that you are the Ambler.”

  Garrick, perplexing Octavius, punched a hole in the ground. He began to laugh maniacally. After pulling his arm out, he headed for the door. Octavius asked him where he was going. Garrick stopped, turned and said, “I’m going to Reading, of course.”

  “You can’t possibly be serious!” Octavius hollered.

  “I have the means now, Octavius. The means to take my revenge. Reading will finally burn at my feet and I have you to thank for it!”

  “I see,” Octavius said resignedly. He half expected this to happen. After all, it was he who had awoken the boy’s hunger for vengeance. Yet, it was not time for him to leave. There was still much for him to learn. “Have you even stopped to wonder why Incardians tried to kill you at that church?”

  Garrick felt a jolt in his chest. It was true. He had completely neglected to consider who those men were, especially after it became clear to him that they were not sent by Octavius. “Should it matter?” he asked, “especially now that I can hold my own in a fight.”

  “You are a Nink, Garrick. Those men were fully established Incardians. The power you feel now overwhelms you because not so long ago you were human. But you are still weak.”

  “Bullshit. I defeated you!”

  “You showed exceptional skill with a weapon deadly even to Incardians. But that doesn’t make you strong. You don’t know how to overcome and manage your weakness in the sun. You don’t know your strengths. You know nothing of Incardians. And more importantly, Garrick, you have no idea who is trying to kill you!”

  Garrick had turned to storm back toward him. “His name was Vincent,” he said.

  “Vincent is nothing but a hitman. He was sent by one much greater. One more dangerous.”

  “Who?”

  “His name is Jacob Kalder. He is one of the oldest living Incardians in existence and the High Lord of Terraincardia. He’s the closest thing to a King we have.”

  “Why the hell would the Incardian King want me dead?”

  “The advent of the Ambler is a threat to his position. Incardians will naturally turn to him for leadership. It even goes beyond Incardians, Garrick. Every Atruman out there will know of you. Some will fear you; some will hate you; and others will respect you. This will weaken Lord Kalder’s influence. For this, you are his greatest enemy.”

  Unnerved, Garrick bit his bottom lip. “What if I decided to lay low?”

  “We are past that. All you can do is stay here with me and learn everything you can. I would not advise you leave here until after the Ceremony of Consent.”

  “Ingrid mentioned that,” he said. “What is this ceremony?”

  “An Incardian indoctrination that occurs every ten years. My job as your Questioner is to teach you all there is to know about being an Incardian. To tell you the rules—yes, we also have rules—and to prepare you for the ceremony. I’m your teacher and the ceremony is your exam. The last was in 1950 so you have eight years to go. If the Gore Council doesn’t give you its consent, you become an outcast until they do.”

  “I’ve been a pariah my entire life!”

  “And would you like to remain one?” Garrick looked back at him uncomfortably and shook his head slowly. “This is an opportunity, Garrick.”

  “What stops Jacob Kalder from trying to kill me here? If this house belonged to the Kesgaila family, wouldn’t he check here?”

  “Rumsfeld has seen to it. I never mentioned it, but he is an accomplished Shaman. The entire house is hidden from sight. As soon as you’re out the gate, it’s no longer locatable.”

  “That why I couldn’t find my way back when I ran away!” Octavius nodded. “So,” he continued as he mounted the Cravers on the wall. “This is going to be like going to college?”

  Octavius seemed amused as he nodded his head. “Okay.”

  Garrick envisioned the unfamiliar power and popularity he would gain now he was an Incardian. Reading could wait, he thought. He would let his yearning for revenge spur him forward and make him attain heights even Octavius could never have imagined. As he ambled out of the war room, he thought of how unusual it was that he had accepted his new predicament with such ease. He guessed it was probably because he felt little attachment to the life he had before his Questioning.

  A satisfied smirk on his face, he turned to Octavius and asked, “When do we begin?”

  15

  FROM THE NOTES OF GARRICK HARTMANN

  INCARDIAN INHERITANCE

  Some Incardians are gifted with an Inheritance. An Inheritance is a special ability Incardians receive once they are Questioned. They are called Inheritances because they supposedly come directly from Semyaza’s powers. All inheritances are rare, and no one knows how or why specific Incardians have them and others do not. There are only five gifts (the titles in parentheses are what they are called in conversation):

  Swiftness (The First)

  Power (The Second)

  Therianthropy (The Third)

  Telepathy (The Fourth)

  Telekinesis (The Fifth)

  SWIFTNESS: The Inheritance of swiftness gives an Incardian super-speed. The famed Incardian, Haddox, has broken the speed of sound on several occasions. Nevertheless, like most Inheritances, the limits of swiftness are unknown. Octavius suspects this is my Inheritance after our sparring session. However, he also says it’s too early to tell.

  POWER: This is the gift of super strength. The extent of this gift is also not known. Incardians who possess this inheritance are even rarer and their strength is difficult to distinguish from the base strength of an older, more experienced and powerful Incardian. Furthermore, Incardians with this Inheritance have mundane weak-spots which are easily exploited. Because of this, Goliath was killed by a boy with a mere stone. I’m not sure if Octavius is joking when he says this.

  THERIANTHROPY: The trickiest of the Inheritances, this is the gift of shape shifting into any animal. It is tricky because no one knows what determines the animal or how many a single Incardian can transform into. The record for highest number of transformations is four (wolf, eagle, bear and tiger) by the legendary Jekuthiel Roth. Some have transformed into other animals. So far, the possibilities seem endless.

  Note: The difference between an Incardian Therianthrope (IT) and regular Therianthropes such as Lycanthropes (Werewolves) and Ailuranthropes (Werecats) is that ITs can stay transformed for a limited time—usually somewhere between thirty minutes and an hour—while Therianthropes can stay changed for as long as they desire under the right conditions. In addition, Therianthropes are anthropomorphic—they are human sized, stand upright and speak—whereas ITs be
come animals but still retain their intelligence.

  TELEPATHY: This is the ability to communicate with the mind. This is the only Inheritance which, although rare, can easily be determined. Telepathy can only work when two Incardians are consanguineously linked. It is rare because relatives are seldom Questioned.

  TELEKINESIS: This is an extremely powerful Inheritance with unknown limits. It is the ability to move objects with the mind. This ability is strongest in female Incardians for unknown reasons.

  INCARDIAN HOLDOVER

  Apart from the Inheritance, Incardians also experience heightened skills associated with whatever gifts they had when they were still human. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish between a holdover and an Inheritance. For instance, an Incardian who used to be an accomplished track and field athlete, would be an exceptionally fast Incardian. This could easily be mistaken for the First Incardian Inheritance. However, there would be certain limits to this speed which can only be made apparent when the Incardian is compared to another who possesses the First Inheritance.

  NEPHILIM’S GLARE

  The Nephilim’s Glare is a state wherein an Incardian’s physical features change considerably. The eyes become smaller; teeth become longer and sharper; the skin becomes paler; and the brow becomes more pronounced as the eyebrows vanish completely. Skotadologists— (Those who study Skotadology which is the study of Atrumankind. Is there a degree in Skotadology? What institution awards it? Is it studied by Atrumans? Octavius prefers not to answer)—are split on the reason for this transformation. Some argue it is the Incardians’ true form which comes to light when under stress, thus lifting the veil of the façade of appearing human.

  The act of displaying the Nephilim’s Glare is simply called Glaring.

  NEPHILIM’S RAGE

  This is a state of pure bestial rage simply called Raging. It is a condition most prevalent in Ninks (fledgling Incardians). Ninks are prone to fits of anger and violence which makes them turn on anyone around them. This blurs the lines between friend and foe but can be overcome with time and experience. Despite the great surge of power which accompanies this state, it is extremely dangerous and should be overcome as soon as possible.

  INCARDIAN SENESCENCE

  Contrary to common belief among other Atrumans, Incardians do age physically to an extent. However, unlike other Atrumans, the Incardians have a considerable amount of freedom when it comes to how they age. Incardians are capable of Withdrawing. This process allows the Incardian to age physically, albeit slowly.

  Questioning can also alter one’s physical age. Older humans, once Questioned, tend to become younger.

  TERRAINCARDIA

  Terraincardia is the otherworldly dwelling of Incardians, believed to have been created by the Incardian Originator himself. Incardians can separate their souls from their bodies. The souls then reside in the realm of Terraincardia.

  If an Incardian’s body is destroyed while his soul dwells in Terraincardia, said Incardian is unable to return to earth and would spend eternity in Terraincardia.

  In Terraincardia, an Incardian can only be killed by the Orlock Claymore—a special sword created by the Originator and the only one of its kind. It is held by the Keeper: a member of the Gore Council.

  ATTIRE IN TERRAINCARDIA

  Ninks have no control over what they wear in Terraincardia and appear wearing the last thing they wore on Earth. Others, however, easily conjure up whatever they imagine. Also, Ninks automatically have a white arm band over their clothing they cannot remove until they have been consented.

  VARNEY NIGHTSPOTS

  These are exclusive Atruman nightclubs present on earth and Terraincardia.

  AZMAVETH AGREEMENT

  Named after the only known child of an Incardian, Azmaveth Roth. This was an agreement among Atrumans that put an end to the bitter war between Magirevs and Incardians. Incardians were represented by Azmaveth’s father, Jekuthiel, while the Magirevs were represented by Taranis.

  SHIMSHONITE WEAPONS

  No one knows the origin of the metal the Order of Shimshon uses, but with it they forged the only weapons capable of killing all Atrumans—including Incardians. The metal was limited in quantity and only a few Shimshonites have been seen to possess these weapons.

  CEREMONY OF CONSENT

  In Terraincardia, Ninks must be recognized by its ruling body, the Gore Council, as fitting members of the Incardian community. This is done through a test in a pocket realm. The pocket realm is a contained section of Terraincardia where Ninks face off against older Assenters of their Questioner in order to judge their strength and intelligence. Once they are deemed fit and able, they are free to leave and branch out on their own back on earth. Ninks who fail the test are doomed to remain in Terraincardia until they pass.

  GORE COUNCIL

  This is Terraincardia’s ruling body. It is headed by the High Lord of Terraincardia.

  16

  NOVEMBER 1956. BUDAPEST

  Garrick observed the chaos below with a scholar’s curiosity as he sat atop the highest point of the Hungarian Parliament Building. With his heightened vision, he could see the protests and fighting in the streets of Budapest. He observed the young Hungarians fighting for their country’s freedom against an oppressive and powerful foreign invader. He admired their tenacity, but already foresaw their imminent defeat. The revolt would soon be crushed.

  Octavius lay beside him, eyes shut and lost in some made up world of his which didn’t include what he considered a senseless pastime. “Can we go home, now?” he asked, eyes still closed.

  “This is history, Octavius. Don’t rush me.”

  “Humans die every day, Garrick. I don’t see why watching Hungarians getting blown away by Russians interests you so much.”

  “For one who was once human and has witnessed some of the greatest events in human history, you are quite indelicate.”

  “That’s just it! I’ve seen all this before. 1848! The Hungarians lost even then. It’s boring now. And I haven’t been a human for so long, I have forgotten what that’s like.”

  Garrick laughed. “Thank you for bringing me.”

  “You were nagging about being stuck in the house for four years. I had to make it stop.”

  “Thanks anyway.”

  The four years he’d spent under the guardianship of Octavius LeGrey were rewarding and informative. Being a very gifted student as a human, Octavius wasn’t the least bit astonished by Garrick’s ability to soak up so much information in such a short period of time. It was a convenient consequence of the holdover.

  Apart from getting a more in-depth story of Volant Aurimas Kesgaila, Garrick learned much about his people. The Incardians would often describe themselves as gods because of their immense power and an apparent lack of weaknesses (or so they claimed, despite their vulnerability under the sun). They were at the top of the Atruman food chain. For this reason, many Incardians were cocky and thus detested by other Atrumans.

  However, Garrick often wondered what it would be like to meet other Incardians. Apart from Octavius, he’d only met Ingrid, but as a timid human. He wondered how they would get along if they met now he was part of the team. And the others—Octavius’ other Assenters—where were they? All these years and he still hadn’t met any. Octavius explained it was mainly because he needed to focus on training him. Plus, his Assenters were no longer Ninks and often drifted to parts unknown to him enjoying their freedom.

  Octavius finally sat up and looked at him impatiently. “Satisfied?”

  “Not yet,” said Garrick. “I’m trying to understand what this feels like.”

  Octavius raised an eyebrow. “A revolt?”

  Garrick shook his head. “A massacre.”

  Octavius had grown accustomed to Garrick’s bloodlust and accepted there was little he could do to douse it. His Assenter’s ocherous eyes remained fixed on the bedlam below. He noted the pleasure in his eyes as he observed. And for the first time in decades, Octavius was pleased to se
e the Sun creeping up into the orange sky. “Dawn,” he said. “We should head back to the house.”

  “A few minutes more,” Garrick pleaded.

  “You can’t survive under the sun for even thirty minutes. I’m not going to let you suffer just to satisfy your craving for carnage. Let’s go!” he commanded. He jumped down from the high building with Garrick following suit resignedly. Once they were on the ground, they were spotted by some Soviet soldiers.

  “May I?” asked Garrick, a hungry look on his face. Octavius, who wasn’t a fan of gratuitous violence, had already begun to shake his head when several bullets struck his chest. Momentarily stunned by this, Garrick turned on his Glare and launched at them with blurring speed. In a matter of seconds, several Soviet body parts littered the streets.

  As he laughed maniacally, Octavius held onto his neck and sprinkled some skydust on the ground beneath them. In a matter of seconds, they were back in the house at Kaunas.

  “You need to get a grip of yourself, Garrick. You can’t go around killing people indiscriminately!” Octavius yelled.

  “The bastards shot you!” retorted Garrick incredulously.

  “You knew I wouldn’t die from their bullets! If you go on like this, you’ll just bring attention to yourself—to all of us!”

  “Relax, there was enough fighting going on there for people not to suspect foul play. They’ll probably think a bomb went off or something.”

  “I thought you were smarter, Garrick! They’ll see body parts and no bomb casings. No sign of an explosion. Nothing!” Octavius squeezed his Assenter’s neck with a fury in his eyes Garrick had never seen before. “Seize your damn wits, lad!” After which he pushed him through a wall.

  As Garrick lay on the floor, he did just that—seized his wits. Part of him wanted to get up and fight, but the other part knew he’d be defeated in an instant. It wouldn’t be another round of sparring either. The raging heat emanating from Octavius suggested it would have been a real fight that could cost him something. Maybe not his life seeing as how Octavius was so convinced he was the Ambler. But it would have been unpleasant for him regardless. So, Garrick decided to stand down.