The night was dark, no moon illuminating it. Silence reigned, or would have if not for the humans finding a reason to fight even as their world was destroyed. The devastation of the planet hadn’t prevented them from splitting into groups and killing each other over minor disagreements.
Scorpius hovered in his bat form near the battle below, using his heightened senses to feel the situation. It had nothing to do with him but Iago had asked him to scout ahead and check whether there was any danger. He’d flown as far as the city, listening to the people for half a day before night fell and it was time to report back.
On his way back, he heard voices and went to investigate when a battle had broken out. One group of humans had made a camp with fires surrounding it in all directions but that hadn’t dissuaded the other from attacking. They burst from the shadows, launching themselves at the unsuspecting group.
It should have been an easy fight from Scorpius’ experience, and it seemed so at first, but after the first damage, the campers formed a defensive formation and stood strong. At their lead was a middle aged man with a boisterous voice. He kept on shouting encouragement to his troop, telling them this was nothing to worry about.
The attackers tried to focus him down but his skill with the sword wasn’t too bad. But then, Scorpius knew he was no judge. To him they all felt like they were moving in slow motion, all swings so easy to dodge it would be an insult for anyone to even bother making them.
As he watched, on the other side of the camp a figure appeared on the hill. It crawled at first, being secretive but soon abandoned all the pretence and sat down in a leisurely form. He flew towards it, shifting when he was right beside.
“They’re asking to be killed,” Iago muttered under his breath and Scorpius wondered whether he meant it.
He knew close to nothing about this man that had saved his life but it didn’t seem right that he would want to take another’s life. Why would he have saved him, otherwise? “Are you planning to do it?”
“What? No!” Iago laughed, turning to acknowledge his appearance. Then he returned his eyes back to the fight below. “What would that achieve? No, I wouldn’t do that. Anyway, do you know who they are?”
“Yeah,” he answered, remembering all that he had heard in the city. “The ones with armour belong to the survivor camp in the city ahead. The others are those that don’t accept the rule and scavenge the grounds on their own. Both parties often clash over the supplies found, whoever are the ones that uncovered them.”
There was a smile on the man’s face before him. He looked satisfied with the answer and Scorpius felt relief wash through him. The first task had been a success, he hadn’t disappointed the person that had saved his life.
“Thanks, you’re a great help,” he even said, standing up.
Scorpius watched him, unable to believe this was it. Not only was he being asked so little as to look over the land ahead, but he was even being thanked for it. The man’s sacrifice, the risk he took saving his life was too much compared to what he was receiving.
As if sensing his thoughts the man turned to regard him with his steady gaze. “What is it?”
“Why did you save me? I’m nothing but a danger to you...”
“In what way?” the man asked with a genuine look of surprise on his face. “You know I’m a shaper, right?”
It was true, he could be killed in less than a fraction of a second but that didn’t explain anything. Humans didn’t help nosferatu. The two races had been mortal enemies as long as the history books went. There wasn’t an occasion when there wasn’t a war or two fought over who should preside over the world.
Once the humans had won, it hadn’t stopped either. Wars ended with the decrease in nosferatu numbers but a hunter’s occupation among humans rose out. Those people killed his kind for a living, and survived solely on it. There wasn’t a time when the two races were on good terms.
They were enemies designed by nature. One requiring the others blood to survive, continue their existence.
“But I’m still what you call a leech, a blood-sucker! You had not reason to save my life! It would have been more natural to let me die, if not kill me on the spot!” he shouted out, wishing for an answer that would explain this mystery.
He had thought and thought about it throughout the day and half the night but nothing made sense. His mind kept on moving in circles, chasing its own tail. All the conclusions were just too impossible to be true.
The man put his hands on his shoulders, looking straight at him. Their gazes met, and Scorpius stared at the silent green orbs that radiated calmness and confidence. There was not a shadow of doubt in them.
“Listen, you’re not a leech or some monster, but a nosferatu, descendant of a proud race. Humans have often oppressed your kind but I can’t see what right they have to do that. Aren’t we all breathing, feeling beings of this planet? It’s important to learn and understand each other, rather than kill from fear and misconception.”
“But I need your blood to live!”
“And what of it?” Iago asked with a tilt to his head. “It’s not like I’ll die by losing a little bit of blood. And if it saves a life? I’ll make this trade any day.”
Scorpius listened to him, incapable of uttering anything. His mind was one huge mess as he tried his whole life experiences with what the man had said just now. It didn’t add up in the least!
“You look as if I’d just hit you in the face without any warning,” Iago laughed, shuffling Scorpius’ hair. “You remind me of my younger brother when I told him last year Lady Spring would come to us with gifts. He stared at me with that same disbelieving expression with just a hint of suppressed hope.” He looked him over for a moment. “Though, I guess you’re actually older than me. I heard your kind ages slower.”
“Yeah...” Scorpius answered on instinct, his mind no clearer than it had been before.
“It’s fascinating,” Iago murmured, turning away from him. “I know he would have loved to learn all about it if he was still alive.”
“He?”
Iago didn’t turn back as he replied in a desolate voice. It had lost the soft melancholy present when he talked about his brother. “He was my teacher, and friend,” Iago said with a shake to his head. “It doesn’t matter now. He’s dead, like all the rest in this cursed place.”
Scorpius didn’t say anything, listening with intent but the man was done speaking. He turned away from the battle, retracing his steps back to where he had left the girl. “It’s time to meet those people below. Do you want to come with me, or do you want to return to your journey that was interrupted by hunger?”
“She’ll recognise me in an instant,” Scorpius refuted, sending a quick glance below. The girl was sitting on her pack, eyes downcast. The night was black enough for her to be unable to see anything farther than a couple paces away.
“You can stay in your bat form for as long as you want, can’t you?”
“Yes?” he answered without understanding where this was going. He could change but that wouldn’t make him any less conspicuous. Even an idiot would comprehend where the bat had come from if Iago came down with one in hand.
The man pointed at his backpack. “You could hide in there if you really want to travel along. Just know that it’s not a requirement. I won’t force you to help me if you want to leave and seek your own path. I can’t promise you I’ll be able to protect you from the other humans if they notice your existence.”
It was a decision that was the same as writing his own death sentence. More than likely would be. This man was planning to enter the city full of humans, not forgetting that his companion wanted Scorpius’ death. He hadn’t forgotten her screams of murder when he lay powerless from hunger.
There was no good reason to follow along besides a steady supply of blood. But it wasn’t worth the risk. He could find scavengers with ease now that he was in more populated areas, without any danger to his being. Shapers were rare in the old days, now they would be as common as his kind. Couple surviving at best.
He shifted into his bat form and flew towards Iago. There was plenty of space in the backpack and he settled in comfort on cloaks kept inside.
This was a decision that might mark his demise but he couldn’t let such an opportunity pass. All his life he had wanted someone to believe in but never found. It was so common among humans but impossible for his kind.
In the clan he had had fun but never expected to be left for dead when in danger. He had seen that happen to the injured or old nosferatu but never paid attention, thinking it was normal. Yet when he got shot and couldn’t fly any longer, to be left by all; it was incomprehensible.
The hunters had been far away, a lucky shot. His friends would have wasted but a couple of seconds to aid him in getting away but no one even hesitated. They left without a look back, seeing him as already dead. It was natural, as expected when they were nothing more than prized beasts for the world but it wasn’t right with him.
Unlike the common practise, after surviving he didn’t return to the clan. He no longer wanted to do anything with beings that could act like they had. How could he smile and laugh, play games with those that had left him to die? It now made sense why the the old ones had such cynical views, not trusting anyone and not bothering to appear otherwise. They lived for the sake of living, and that was all.
It was going to be his fate too so he left, finding peace of mind in travelling over the world alone. It was nice to get up when he wanted, go where he wanted, and leave when he wanted. No one ordering him to drain his victims dry so they won’t come after.
It was much easier to knock the target out, get the little amount needed to continue on and leave before they woke up. No messy hiding of bodies, or dealing with hunters because of mass killings in the vicinity. For most people his coming was like a dream they could barely recall and no one would believe. His kind was said to always kill, it was supposedly necessary.
That kind of life was fun for the first five years but in time he grew lonely but there was no one to keep him company. His people couldn’t be trusted and the humans would never accept someone like him. He was the tale to scare little children from going where they shouldn’t.
So, how could he step away now?
For the first time there was a person that had helped him. He didn’t ask for anything, and had nothing to gain only danger to himself yet he saved him without any hesitation. It was like he didn’t understand the implications of what he was doing.
That was the most logical explanation but his words later claimed otherwise. He knew what he had done and was proud of it. No regret lingered in his heart. It was unbelievable yet true. Resisting this kind of temptation was the same as denouncing blood.
“What did you see?” the girl’s voice reached him from the outside. The pack’s material was thin enough for him to be able to hear every word with ease. He closed his eyes, and let the conversation lull him to sleep. It had been a long day and night.
“There are people ahead,” Iago answered with a serious expression, motioning for Shea to come to him.
She stood up, stretching her legs from the sitting. “Are they dangerous?”
“Possibly,” he said as he started to walk around the hill this time. “But you want to go to the city and they must belong to it. We’re close enough to meet the scouts and scavengers from there.”
Shea nodded as if she had deduced that herself too, and followed after him. It had to be true if he said so. No way would he lead them to danger without being sure of his success.
Walking around the hill was swift, and she saw fires raising high into the night sky. They surrounded the camp in a circle, blurring her view of what was happening within. Sounds of clashing weapons had ceased but people were still shouting. Someone was arguing but they were too far away for her to be able to hear the words.
“Is this really fine, us just approaching them like this?” she asked in a whisper.
Iago didn’t bother replying. They were close enough to see the people behind the fire barrier, and hear them.
“-wrong! It was ours!”
“You couldn’t protect it so scram! It’s ours now!”
“You’re nothing but petty thieves acting as noble warriors! How can you live with yourselves?”
“I told you to scram!” the lead man of the soldiers ordered. He wore heavy armour and was leaning on a broadsword. It was almost twice the size of the man. “Or do you want me to chop the rest of you in half too?”
Hearing such words, Shea started to doubt their decision to come here. The man sounded violent and without a bone of kindness. Not only had he stolen something, but was proud of it.
She tugged at Iago’s cloak but as he turned to her, they were noticed.
“Who is there?” the man bellowed, raising his giant sword point first in their direction. “Show yourselves!”
Iago didn’t hesitate and following him Shea went forward. Fires flanked them, giving the area a flickering, mysterious air. But there was no mystery to what was going to happen next. The man glared at them with steel grey eyes, scorn evident on his face. “Another bunch of ragged scavengers? Help your kind carry the dead, I won’t harm you,” he said in a dismissive voice, sword returning to the ground.
“Thanks for the offer but I’ll refuse,” Iago answered without sparing a single glance to the bodies lying about.
Upon noticing them, Shea couldn’t turn away. More than five people had been hacked to pieces, their flesh scattered across the camp. Blood was splattered everywhere and she noticed she was standing in a little pool, something floating by her foot.
Her throat locked, she tried to swallow the bile but a headless torso lying in her vision was enough to push her over. She went on her knees and wretched, the few things she’d eaten in the morning escaping her body. Once, twice; she closed her eyes and breathed deep, trying to erase from her mind what she’d just seen.
A motion nearby attracted her attention, and she looked up to see Iago standing before her in a defensive position. The man had walked closer to them, but she was unable to see his expression and what had put Iago so on guard. His whole body was as taut as a string ready to be loosed.
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Another turn in her stomach and she turned away from everything. As long as she was puking, she didn’t have to look around, face the man that had done all of this. She told herself not to think about it, ignore her surroundings but her eyes were captivated by the horror, finding each and every evidence of atrocities that have occurred in this camp.
“Step away, boy,” the man ordered in a voice that was growing impatient. It must have been not the first time he’d given the command.
Shea cleaned her face with the back of her hand, then shivered as her mind returned to what was happening now. The man wanted her for some reason. She tightened her grip on the cloak, wishing it would give her the strength to stand up. But her legs felt like thin sticks that couldn’t hold her for a second.
“Can we come with you to the city or not?” Iago asked in a strong voice, not faltering in his position at all.
“What? Is she your lover or something? What’s with the defensiveness?” the leader man asked with a laugh, waving him off. “Just get out of the way. It’ll be better for everyone if I came to like her.”
“Can we or not?” Iago repeated in the same tone.
The man hefted his sword and Shea rushed to her feet but before she could say or do anything, one of the other soldiers got in the leader’s way. He whispered something in the man’s ear, to which he cursed aloud before stomping off towards a large tent father away.
“I’m sorry,” the soldier who had stopped the leader said with an apologetic look. He was older than her or Iago but not by much. “You can join us, of course. We’ll set out early in the morning. Be sure to be ready by then.”
Iago gave a stiff nod and the man backed away, leaving the two of them in relative privacy. Only then Iago turned to face her. “Are you okay?” he asked quietly, giving her a quick once over before shifting his eyes to watch the camp and its inhabitants.
“Yeah,” she whispered back, forcing her fingers off the fabric.
He gave her a tight smile that said he understood and pulled the hood of her cloak up. “Better stay like this until we reach the city. It should get better once we’re among more people. Now come,” he said with a nod towards the edge of the hill that was mostly in the dark. “Let’s wait there.”
They reached the spot unobstructed and Shea closer fell to the ground than sat down. She raised her knees, enveloping them with her hands as the shaking returned.
What had happened... There were no words to describe it. She couldn’t believe it was really true. It was unbelievable.
There were stories at her home village about atrocities done by the bandits, horror tales but she had thought they were largely overstated. People making them sound worse than they were to make the children like her more afraid.
It was said they collected beautiful women like jewels, using them up at some point. She wasn’t certain what that meant but it couldn’t be anything good. The way that man had talked... It was like he already owned her!
“Don’t worry, he won’t dare to do anything,” Iago whispered. She raised her eyes without moving her head to see him staring at the camp with hooded eyes.
“What did he want from me, anyway?”
Iago turned to her with a look of disbelief that soon turned into a soft chuckle, relaxing his expression. Seeing that normal reaction calmed her down in an instant. If he could look so at ease, then their situation couldn’t be as bad she’d thought. Maybe it was all just her imaginings, terror of the dark night and the unknown.
“Nothing, forget about it and get some rest. We’ll have a long day ahead of us.”
“What about you?”
“I’m fine,” he answered with a glance towards the movement in the camp. Some soldiers had left the tent but they just added kindling to the fires and returned back. “I’ve slept earlier today in the ruins, so I feel rested. Don’t mind me.”
“Oh,” she murmured, having forgotten about the day’s events altogether. They seemed to have happened ages ago, in another reality. Could they have really seen a leech? It felt surreal and so far away.
Her mind glazed over and she fell asleep with a memory of a better time; her sitting like this with father. They had stared at the stars, and he’d told her all the stories he’d known. Each star a legend of its own. A lullaby to her weary mind.
It was a long time later that she felt something shaking her left shoulder. She opened her heavy eyelids to see Iago’s face right before her. He was squatting beside her with a hand over her shoulder. “I let you sleep as long as I could but they’re about to depart.”
“Okay,” she murmured taking his hand and dusting off her cloak after standing up. It was dirty from sitting on the ashen sand but there was little that she could do about that.
“Keep your hood up and if he approaches, let me deal with it.”
There was nothing she could reply to that so she just nodded and fell in after him as they joined the soldiers. Most of them were burdened by large bags on top of heavy armour. It was like a procession of turtles moving at a snails pace. The two of them had to slow their walking speed to close to a crawl to not get ahead of the line.
Only the leader man didn’t carry anything and was walking at the very head, laughing and talking in a loud voice to his soldiers. Their replies were most often grunts or groans, but that seemed fine by the leader. He kept on joking to himself, telling the soldiers about his glorious days as a captain of the capital guard.
She didn’t want to believe that could have been true, that such a man could be allowed such a high position, but none of the soldiers refuted him. They didn’t listen with much interest but none were furious or even angered. It was like they accepted those words as true. Maybe they even knew them to be so?
Iago’s words came to her memory. He had called the capital a centre of corruption, a place where good died and evil prospered. It had sounded like lies of a bitter soul but now she was no longer sure. Had it really been a good idea to come to this city? It was starting to look more and more dangerous by the moment.
The rest of the day and most of the night had passed without incident until they saw the capital in their sights, the glorious Yrea. Or what was left of it.
Whatever majesty the city had possessed was long gone. Toppled towers and jagged edges of buildings met Shea’s searching gaze. The sight was no different from her home and the fallen in temple. You couldn’t tell the two apart if not for the amount of ruin. Here were hundreds of houses, the rubble reaching as far in the horizon as she could see.
“It’s dazzling, isn’t it?” Iago asked with a voice that wasn’t as bitter as he might have tried for. Underneath the dripping sarcasm there was a sliver of warmth hiding.
“This is your home...” she murmured instead of answering and tried to imagine what the place might have looked before the destruction. It must have been magnificent with the towers reaching towards the sky, tall buildings battling against them for supremacy.
She’d heard there was a place built solely from glass that shone in all the colours of the rainbow when touched by the sunlight, and could be seen miles from the capital. But whether that had been true was now nothing but a tale. Nothing had remained standing, crumbling onto itself and crushing whatever was underneath.
It was like a massive graveyard.
“I don’t think I really want to enter it...”
Only now did she consider how many lives this place must have taken. It was the most populated city in the continent, after all. No matter how many survivors there were, a hundred people must have died for each of them. Maybe more. She couldn’t imagine so many people in one place yet it must have been true to build a city of such size...
“It’s a bit too late to change your mind, don’t you think so?” Iago asked with a laugh. The natural cheer of his voice resonated against the dead atmosphere, bringing many looks towards him.
Shea hesitated for a moment before asking. “Were... Were you here when it happened?”
“Yeah. It was one fine morning, sun dying the sky in brilliant pinks,” he answered, not elaborating more and she didn’t dare to ask. It must have been something horrible for the land to change from lush forests and plains to an ashen desert but what exactly had happened? It was frustrating knowing nothing by having slept underground through it all.
They had reached the edge of the crumbled city by then and a soldier, the one from before moved into their path. “You should come with me to have dinner now. Tomorrow you’ll be evaluated and the elders will judge whether you can stay or have to depart.”
“Have to depart?” Shea asked in surprise.
“Only those who are useful can stay,” he said with his head down from more than his burdensome pack. “People without skills are asked to leave since there’s no food to waste on those that don’t give anything to the society. It’s a rule enforced for the greater good of everyone.”
“Great good...” Iago laughed, shaking his head in mirth Shea and the soldier didn’t share. “Ignore me. Let’s go to that canteen you’ve set up. It’s been a whole day since I’ve had a good meal.”
The soldier watched him with weary eyes but didn’t say anything. He led them deeper into the city, towards one of the houses that was much more intact than the rest. It’s top two floors had fallen in but the ground one was standing strong.
“Go in, I’ll be right there once I pass the supplies to the keeper.”
He then disappeared behind a toppled wall and they were left alone. Iago wasted no time in walking into the canteen, and Shea had to hurry after to catch up. She had no wish to be left alone in this dead city.
Inside she was assaulted by the smell of rot. It was so overpowering she had to press her fingers against the nose and breathe through the mouth to not pass out. She hadn’t smelled something so disgusting in her life.
Iago marched through the middle, between two long tables sat by people and straight to the front where the food was distributed. Upon reaching it he froze, staring at the sickly mess that passed as food here. The vegetables in the soup were clearly rotten, and sparse meat greenish in colour with a glistening slimy texture to it.
There was not a chance Shea would dare to put something like that in her mouth, but the people at the tables were eating it. They grimaced with each scoop of the brew, gagged a bit but kept on going. Spoon after spoon they ate the rotten food. She felt nauseous just watching them.
“Are you the newcomers?” a woman asked coming to stand behind the counter. She picked a bowl from a pile to her left and smiling poured it full. “You came at a right time. There were some great hunts recently and there’s enough food for everyone. Please, enjoy.”
She passed the bowl to Iago and he took it with a stony expression before slamming it against the counter. “Who the hell calls this food?” he roared to the crowd in the room. “Bring him to me so I can snap his neck right this moment!”
“Hey!” someone from the back complained. “Don’t dis people feeding you!”
“Feeding me?” Iago asked with a sneer. “You actually call this edible? If you want to die in the next week, then maybe, but I don’t plan on joining you!”
A beefy man sitting near the counter stood up and came to tower over Iago. “Leave if you don’t like it but don’t insult us. We worked our assess off, risking our lives to get this and won’t stand for you to trash our work. How did you even survive so long with such attitude?”
“Hey, what ‘s goin-” the soldier’s voice came from the entrance but nobody paid him any attention.
Iago crossed his arms, smirking at the man that looked like he could snap him in two. “Is that really the question you should be asking? Maybe ask nicely, and I might actually turn this shit into real food.”
“You!” someone roared from the crowd but the big man silence him with a raised hand. “Turn it?” he asked in a quiet voice.
Instead of answering, Iago reached his hand over the bowl on the counter and shaped. The rotten vegetables returned to their natural form, water cleaned out and meat regained its colour. The soup looked like something any mother would have cooked on a lazy evening.
People clambered in the back, not understanding what was happening and some came over to watch. Like the man before them, the moment they saw the bowl’s contents they fell into a stunned silence. None able to utter anything that would make sense.
“You’re a shaper!” the soldier guy shouted in surprise. “Why didn’t you say that before? You must go and see the mistress. She would be greatly pleased to meet others like her!”
The look Iago levelled on him could have put undead to death. “There’s a shaper in this camp and your people are eating this?”
“Well, well... Yeah? She’s a lady of noble blood!”
“And that means she won’t lower herself to this kind of task even if it means saving people’s life?” Iago asked with disgust dripping off his voice. He turned away from the soldier as if the conversation was over and picking the bowl with fresh ingredients carried it to one of the children at the table. “Tell her to get off her high horse and look at the world around her. Until then I have no wish to see her.”
After that he went from one person to another and shaped their food. The people followed his movements, the expressions on their faces varying from shock to amazement to apprehension but none stopped him. They sat still in their seats, few moving as far as pushing their bowls towards him.
When he finished, Iago straightened out and facing the crowd said, “If you ever want to eat true food again, bring what you find and I’ll shape it. I’m no legendary talent, not some prodigy but I won’t let others starve and die from sickness when I can help it!”
Having said his part, he came to get two more bowls from the canteen lady and after shaping them ate together with Shea in silence. No one dared to say a word to them. Shapers were a legend after all, so high and mighty they were closer to gods than humans. Normal people never saw them or their talents, and when they did it was usually to their suffering.
To see a shaper use his talents to help commoners was similar to seeing The Lady descend to mortal realm. No one would believe such a lie.