Apotheosis of the Immortal (11 page)

“Elijah, come on,” Hassan yelled from just out of range of the bombardment. The second round of arrows knocked Elijah to the ground and Hassan tried to grab him, but Elijah pushed away. He flicked off a dozen or more arrows and began to push himself to his feet when the third volley hit and nailed him to the ground. Hassan and two of his men quickly retrieved him and dragged him out of the archers’ range. Hassan’s men removed countless arrows from all over his body as he lay motionless, still gripping his swords.

“Come on Elijah!” Hassan knelt at his side.

“It is time for us to leave, sir. He is gone. He’s not even healing.” The two men grabbed Hassan and tried to force him up.

“Go on! Leave me!” Hassan shouted. “I’m staying right here; you don’t know this man like I do. He is too damn stubborn to die.” His voice was uncompromising. “I brought him here, and I am not going to leave him.” Hassan’s eyes were wide with anger as he reared back and slapped Elijah on the face with all of his strength.

Elijah didn’t move or make a sound. Hassan reared back to hit him again, but stopped when one of his men noticed Elijah’s wounds beginning to heal. A few seconds later, he opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and rose to his feet, his overwhelming rage unabated.

Hulagu, The Khan

1256 AD

“You fight for me. Now do what needs to be done! Whether with your bow or your sword, move swiftly, set death on its course and get out of the way. Remove yourself from the consequences. Now get on the horse!”

Chapter 21

“Thank God! We
must get back to the fortress.” Hassan tugged at Elijah’s right arm.

“Go.” Elijah’s tone was implacable as he stared into Hassan’s eyes. “Go,
now
!” he shouted.

Hassan finally submitted and led his men back to the shelter of the fortress. He couldn’t risk their safety just because of Elijah’s stubbornness.

Only Elijah remained outside. He stalked back and forth, just out of range of the Mongol archers, increasingly anxious for more battle, more carnage. His muscles were knotted from holding himself in check; he ached for bloodshed.

After several minutes, Elijah dropped one of his swords to the ground, pried a spear from the dead hands of a Mongol soldier and ran nearly a quarter of the way back to the fortress before he turned and scanned the hilltop, searching for a target. Selecting a soldier at the edge of the Mongol camp, he took three long strides and launched the spear as hard as he could. It soared up the hill with tremendous speed, finally crashing through the chest of the onlooking soldier and pinning an unsuspecting vampire to a tree behind him.

Elijah paced for a moment to give them time to respond, but quickly grew impatient and reached down for another spear. As he was prying the fingers open from around the spear, he was caught off guard by an unexpected feeling of empathy.

The hands of the vampire and human corpses that lay beneath him were undistinguishable now. The vampires had reverted to their original form when they died. Still, each pair of hands was distinct. He found himself musing about how distinction and uniqueness were such human qualities. The hand he was touching was cold and lifeless now, and before that it had belonged to a monster.

Elijah’s thoughts sank deeper. There was a time when those hands were warm and human, he thought. He remembered his father, the father he had known as a child. He imagined, ages ago, before lifetimes long spent, the hands on the corpses around him had held someone close to provide safety from the cold or protection from the night. He imagined they had brought comfort to broken hearts as they wiped single teardrops from soft, small faces. All of the lives lost on this bloodstained battlefield were just a fraction of the lives he had taken, and the lives he would have to take if he were to continue on this path.

Suddenly the blast of a trumpet rolled down from the Mongol camp and interrupted his thoughts. He straightened and closed his eyes for a moment to gather his wits. When he opened them again, his geste was like stone once more. Readying his swords, one in each hand, he stared up the hill. He was ready for more battle, to spill whatever amount of blood was needed to satiate his lust—though he feared there would never be enough—and to end this.

He didn’t see hordes of Mongol vampires descending upon him as his eyes carefully combed the hillside; he saw one lonely figure descending from the camp. A woman emerged from the darkness of the shadowed hillside and into the faint white light of a crescent moon. She appeared to be human, but Elijah couldn’t be sure.

She was truly beautiful, but she was definitely not a Mongol. Her eyes were wide and round. Nearly black, they matched the color of her hair, which flowed like silk past her shoulders and fell just below her breasts. Her olive skin was dark and smooth. Her stride was steady as she approached.

“Are you foolish enough to think I will not kill a woman?” Elijah knelt and laid both swords on the ground.

“My Khan only wishes me to escort you to his tent; he wishes to speak with you. He would like to find out what it is you want.” The woman stood straight with her hands clasped at her waist.

“I only wish to continue the battle.” Elijah stared at her fiercely as he reached down, grabbed a handful of sand, and rubbed it between his hands.

“Why do you do that?” The woman’s eyes were narrowed as if she was straining to see, but she wasn’t.

“So the swing of my sword will be vicious and true when I take the head of your Khan.” Elijah’s eyes widened as he clasped his swords and stood up straight. The woman didn’t flinch.

“You have made a name for yourself. My Khan is aware of who you are.” The woman pushed the hair flowing over her chest behind her shoulders.

“And what is it that you know?” Elijah gripped his swords and stepped closer.

“I know he fears you. He believes he cannot win this battle while you stand in his way.”

Elijah smiled. “Then I have got him right where I want him. Why would I waste my time with words?” Elijah tapped the dull edge of the sword in his right hand against his shoulder.

“Because I know other things, important things.” Her gaze never left his.

“Go on.” Elijah rested both swords against his shoulders.

“You are the immortal who drinks no blood; you are the vampire slayer.”

“My name is Elijah, and I slay much more than vampires.” Elijah walked closer until their faces nearly touched. “What else do you know?”

“I know one of those swords is a true
kopis.
By its look, it must have belonged to a very important Spartan.” The wind was blowing hard; it blew wisps of hair around her face and she again tucked it quickly behind her.

“So you know weapons.” Elijah sheathed his old sword and lifted the Spartan sword, admiring it. “My friend, the man who gave me this, told me such things find their way to deserving hands. Do you believe that?”

“Actually I do, but sometimes it takes a while; sometimes it has to pass through much filth to reach its destination.” Elijah dropped the sword to his side and circled around to her back.

“What would it prove to kill a woman?” Her voice was calm and steady.

“I have nothing to prove. What does it prove to kill anything?” Elijah whispered in her ear as he pressed the point of his sword gently against her back.

“The Khan wants to make you an offer.” The woman turned and gently pushed Elijah’s sword to the side.

“What could he possibly offer me?” Elijah laughed.

“I told you; the Khan has heard of you. He believes he knows what you seek. He offers to take you to William.” Elijah quickly raised the
kopis
to her neck with one hand and grabbed the back of her head with the other.

“What did you say?” he growled.

“I told you. My Khan wishes to speak with you in person.”

Elijah let go of the girl and began racing up the hill. Halfway up he stopped and turned back to her. “What is your name?” He couldn’t deny his interest; she was beautiful, and her courage was admirable.

“My name is Ayda.” Her voice was gentle and soothing. The moonlight limned the curves of her body as she climbed towards him. For the first time in ages his body burned with a lust not grounded in hate nor satisfied by blood.

“Know this, Ayda. If you are lying, you will die as well. Your head will fall immediately after your Khan’s.” As she reached him, he extended his arm and turned up the palm of his hand, beckoning for hers. Her palm was soft, and her long nails raked slightly against his wrist as she surrendered her hand fearlessly.

Elijah stared into her eyes and took a moment to feel the stroke of her fingers before he slid his hand forward and clamped his powerful fingers around her arm.

He turned and continued up the hill, holding the girl closely at his side, until he reached the perimeter of the camp. There he was met by a person who appeared suddenly. Elijah knew he was too quick to be anything but a vampire. Elijah’s sword was at its neck before he could speak.

“You have no need of that here; the Khan has given orders that you not be harmed. Follow me.” The vampire turned and headed into the camp after Elijah pulled his sword away from his throat. Elijah followed him through the camp, which was lit with torches standing every few yards.

Every monster they passed glared at Elijah threateningly. They passed tent after tent of blood-guzzling vampires until they finally arrived at a huge tent standing at the edge of camp, just behind a large tree. The vampire leading them stopped by the tree and asked that Elijah set aside his swords before entering the Khan’s tent.

“If these are not here when I get back, I will find you, and I will kill you.” Elijah let go of Ayda’s arm and laid both of his swords at the base of the tree.

“Her, too.” The vampire pointed to Ayda.

“She is one of yours, you mule! Why would you be worried about her?” Elijah grabbed her once more and walked towards the tent.

“I have some ideas.” The large vampire smiled as he stepped into their path, blocking their way to the Khan’s tent. “You are not going anywhere with her until she has been searched.”

“Are you certain you want to pick this wretched night to be your last?” Elijah asked.

“I am just doing my job,” the vampire replied.

“Okay.” Elijah smiled and stepped backwards; he instructed Ayda to back up against the tree.

“This is outrageous! I am a personal servant to the Khan. If you touch me, he will have you killed.” This was the first time Elijah had seen her lose patience, although he wasn’t sure if she was scared or disgusted.

“Shut up and spread your arms and legs. Just let him get this over with.” Elijah stepped forward and kicked her feet apart. She narrowed her eyes and glared at him.

“I’m just doing my job.” The vampire was only slightly taller than Elijah, but his size was reminiscent of some beast of burden. “Although I will enjoy this just a little.” The beast smiled as he leaned in close to snuffle along Ayda’s neck, gently rubbing his nose against her jaw. Elijah watched as she cringed.

“I change my mind.” Elijah grabbed his old
kopis
from the tree and held it just under the vampire’s throat. “Back up.” Elijah’s tone was low, but commanding.

“Eric, take care of this idiot. I have had more than enough of him! If you ever try to touch one of my servants again, I will kill you myself.” The voice came from a tall and somewhat pudgy, but strong looking richly dressed man standing in the opening of the Khan’s tent. A human, much smaller than the vampire, walked from the pudgy man’s side and smacked the vampire hard across the face.

“Elijah, I presume?” The pudgy man turned his attention to Elijah, who nodded as he laid the
kopis
back against the tree. “These fucking vampires, you can’t do anything with them. Ayda, bring him in.” He turned and disappeared into the tent. Ayda stepped forward and motioned for Elijah to go with her.

“This isn’t over.” The vampire whispered to Ayda. His voice grated on Elijah’s nerves.

“Thank you for reminding me.” Elijah turned to face the monster. Without any hesitation, he grabbed the dagger hanging beneath his right arm.

“Ohhh!” The vampire bellowed as Elijah wiped the blood from his blade and placed it back beneath his robes. Everyone around the Khan’s tent took to their feet and retrieved their weapons just as the vampire’s nose bounced off of the tree and fell to the ground.

“Stop!” The pudgy man spoke from the tent entrance. “Everyone return to your tasks. Elijah is my guest, and we have much to discuss.”

“My pound of flesh.” Elijah leaned over and retrieved the vampire’s nose; he looked at it for a moment before tossing it to the ground. He noticed a faint smile on Ayda’s face as she pulled back the tent opening and ushered him in.

The inside of the Khan’s tent seemed smaller than the exterior implied. The air was permeated with smoke and the strong sent of lilac. Elijah quickly found their source in a pile of burning incense on a small wooden stool near the rear of the tent.

Most of the space was dark, and Elijah wondered if that was intentional. A few small lanterns hanging about the tent dimly lit the center of the small room, revealing a rectangular wooden table and four chairs.

“Come in, come in, please, and have a seat.” The large, richly dressed man, flanked on each side by armed guards, gestured towards a chair with a fluffy silk cushion positioned directly across the table from him. “Leave us,” his host, obviously the Khan, commanded the guards.

Elijah sat down and the armed men quickly left the tent.

“You, too.” The Khan motioned for Ayda to leave.

“She stays.” Elijah then noticed what had evaded him before; in the darkness behind the Khan was an overlay in the cloth which he had mistaken as a seam. The room he was in seemed so small because there was at least one more behind the overlay. Elijah imagined what could be hiding behind the overlay, how many people. He knew he was exposed without his weapons, but was confident he could get his hands on one quickly enough if he needed to.

“Whatever you want.” The man forced a smile. “I am Hulagu Khan, brother to the great Khan.”

“Wait.” Elijah interrupted. He turned and beckoned Ayda to the table as he grabbed another chair and positioned it at his side. “Go on.” Elijah instructed, as he watched Ayda take her seat.

“As you will.” The Khan cocked his head to the side and took a deep breath. “As I attempted to explain, my brother, at the behest of William, the one you seek, has charged me with conquering these hashish-smoking Ismaili Assassins. If I don’t take their fortresses, he will not be happy, especially the fortress at Alamut.” The Khan lowered his chin and smiled.