Mortality: The Story of Mortanius

Chapter Thirty-Three

Mortanius was in his laboratory the following morning, reading over magical texts while sipping some tea, when he felt a painfully familiar psychic blow that rocked him back in his chair and made him drop his cup, which shattered on the floor. He let out a breath and slumped over his desk for a minute or two, and then stood up.

Such a feeling had struck him too many times throughout the years. It meant that one of the Guardians was dead. The nature of the connection between the Guardians always made it clear to him who had died, and so he knew that this time it was not a human Guardian.

It was Janos. The Sarafan Knights had succeeded in their mission.

Mortanius didn’t know how to feel about it. He was glad that Janos was dead, but also saddened by it. Janos was the last of his kind, living a completely isolated and solitary existence for well over a century, knowing that it was only a matter of time before death came for him. He could have taken his own life long before now, but for some reason he held on. As far as Mortanius was concerned, the Sarafan Knights had put him out of his misery. But his death was still a tragedy, in a way, because the vampire race had once ruled a mighty empire and they had created the Pillars. For their once-powerful race to end on such a miserable note was hardly something to celebrate.

He thought about going upstairs to talk to the others, but decided against it. The only Guardians currently in the Temple were Rashard and Olantireth. Instead, he found a rag to clean up the spilled tea and picked up the pieces of broken ceramic. He could have ordered a servant to do it, but he wanted something to keep him busy while he pondered the ramifications of Janos’s death.

What would they find inside his fortress? As the last living vampire, Janos might well have been in possession of ancient vampire records or rare historical artifacts or magical items, or all three. Most of the other vampires had systematically destroyed anything of value before the Sarafan could corner them and kill them, but those vampires had been under siege for days or even weeks before their deaths. As far as Mortanius knew, Janos had not expected the Sarafan’s attack, and so he would not have had time to destroy anything.

Moebius said they were going to tear down the citadel, but Mortanius decided that he would try to stop that from happening. They could turn it into a museum or a memorial. Just because the vampires were now extinct, it didn’t mean the human race needed to erase all evidence of their existence. The mysterious vampire temple on the island in the Lake of Tears was still standing, and in fact was still mostly unexplored. They could do the same with Janos’s fortress. Leave it as a reminder to future generations that the vampire race had been real, and was not just a myth or fable.

A servant came to the laboratory with a message from Ellendra. She wanted to know if he was going to be there when the Sarafan Knights returned to the Temple. All of the other Guardians would be in attendance. He replied that he would certainly be there, and then told the servant to come and get him when they arrived. The journey from Uschtenheim would take most of the day, so the Knights would not make it back to the Temple until late afternoon at the earliest.

He had lost any motivation to keep working, but there was nothing else to do to pass the time, so he sat back down and started reading the magical texts again, although he barely paid attention to the words on the parchment.

There would be a celebration, he supposed. A feast to honor the Sarafan Knights and their victory, and to commemorate the end of the vampire race. Most of the other Guardians would be pleased to take part in such a momentous occasion, but the truth is that none of them – besides himself, Moebius, and Malek – had any personal knowledge or understanding of what the vampires really represented. The history of the Circle was no secret, but Mortanius doubted that the younger Guardians like Rashard and Sirine had studied that era of Nosgoth’s history very carefully.

The fact that the vampires forcefully turned the first human Guardians into half-breeds was easily forgotten among the hundreds of years of Nosgoth’s history since the rebellion. The death of Janos was not just the death of a vaguely monstrous creature that none of them had seen, it was the extinction of that race that had once ruled Nosgoth, and sought to dominate the human race in order to maintain their rule. Now that the vampires were no more, the human race was the sole possessor and master of Nosgoth, now and forever.

It was nearly sunset when a servant knocked on the door to inform Mortanius that the Knights were going to arrive shortly. He closed the grimoire he was studying and rose from his desk as the servant departed. He donned a robe of dark red silk and checked his appearance in a mirror before heading upstairs.

He found a crowd of people gathered near the front doors of the Temple. Bodies were packed in the hallway and entrance foyer, and outside the doors as well. It was growing dark outside as the sun disappeared over the hills to the west, so they had torches set up on the stone walkway to the Temple entrance. Mortanius couldn’t see all of the Guardians in the crowd but he assumed they were there. There was steady murmur of conversation as everyone talked amongst themselves.

The crowd was composed of Sarafan soldiers and other members of the Order, Temple servants and workers, and a number of local figures. The mayor of one of the nearby towns was there, and several other people that Mortanius didn’t recognize but assumed were local representatives. He spotted Kelredar by the doors, and saw Olantireth in the crowd as well. More servants poked their heads from around corners and doorways to get a better look.

“Mortanius,” Ellendra said, emerging from the group of people and coming over to him. “For a moment, I thought you weren’t going to show up.”

“I lost track of time,” he said with a shrug. “I didn’t expect so many people.”

“Moebius sent word around that the Sarafan defeated the last of the vampires. There’s even more people outside. Lots of civilians have come to see the Knights when they return.”

“They’re almost here, then?”

“Yes, we got word just a few minutes ago that they’ll be here soon.”

Almost on cue, they heard people cheering outside. Mortanius and Ellendra moved forward, gently pushing aside some of the servants, who politely got out of their way. There was the clatter of horse hooves and suddenly a group of riders thundered up to the Temple, shouting to announce their presence. The mounts were lathered with sweat as the Sarafan Knights dismounted, having ridden them hard on the return journey. Almost immediately, they were swarmed by people outside, but a group of Sarafan soldiers held the crowd of civilians back. People called out and cheered, and some even threw flowers.

“We have slain the vampire Janos!” one of the Knights cried. Mortanius couldn’t see him clearly, but he knew it was Raziel, the one who led the mission. “The evil vampire lord is dead! His reign of terror over the people of Nosgoth is at an end! Nosgoth has been cleansed of the vampire race!”

Mortanius strained to get a better look, and caught a glimpse of Moebius outside. Raziel handed Moebius his staff and turned to wave at the crowd. The triumphant Knights marched up to the Temple, their armor gleaming in the torchlight, as the people outside continued to cheer. Moebius looked positively ecstatic, his eyes shining and a wide smile on his face, as he raised his staff into the air.

“This is a glorious day!” Moebius shouted enthusiastically. “Congratulations are in order! Your names will go down in history for what you’ve accomplished this day!”

The people huddled around the doors backed away as the Sarafan Knights came inside. The servants and Sarafan soldiers clapped and cheered, and some of the Guardians even added to the applause. Kelredar came forward to congratulate the Knights personally, and Palton was there as well, shaking hands with one of the Knights. The soldiers surrounded them like a mob of adoring fans, shouting thanks and cheering the name of the Sarafan.

“Come, come!” Moebius called out. “Let’s go inside and take a seat! Let’s have some food and drink for our brave heroes! You can tell us about your victory! I want to hear every detail!”

The crowd surged and moved as the Knights made their way down the hallway. Mortanius spotted Malek in the back, still standing in the doorway and speaking with one of the Knights. The Knight had a long item in his arms, wrapped in a brown cloth. Mortanius tried to get a better look but he couldn’t see, and soon the crowd pulled him away.

They all shuffled into the Grand Hall of the Temple, where a huge table was already laid out with food and refreshments. Everyone was talking at once, and the chattering grated on Mortanius’s nerves. He followed the rest of them inside and realized that he had lost track of Ellendra. Servants were already there, handing out drinks. Mortanius took a glass of wine and retreated into the back of the crowd as everyone moved around, letting the Knights take seats at the table. Some of the Guardians took seats as well, but most of the Sarafan soldiers and servants remained standing.

“Thank you, one and all!” Raziel said elatedly. “We are honored to know that you had such faith in us! But this victory is not ours alone! Each and every one of you made this day possible, with your determination and your commitment to ending the vampire threat!”

Mortanius stood back and drank his wine as Raziel and the other Knights told the story of their mission to Uschtenheim. They had arrived after midnight the night before, and only slept a few hours before setting out for the fortress in the early morning. The crowd listened intently as Raziel told them how the Knights used grapples and climbing gear to ascend the outside of the citadel, and how they managed to enter through the hidden door, just as planned.

“We found him alone, standing at an altar within the fortress,” Raziel said, holding a cup of wine, which sloshed across his hand as he swung his arm. “He had his back to us! But we had not taken him by surprise! No, he knew that we were there!”

Mortanius shook his head almost imperceptibly. If Janos had known the Knights were there, then he could have retreated beyond the range of the staff and attacked them from afar. Was Raziel merely embellishing the story, or was something else going on? Had Janos, upon realizing that the Sarafan had infiltrated his sanctum, merely surrendered his life? Why would he have done so? Mortanius didn’t believe it.

“I used the magical staff,” Raziel continued, sweeping his gaze across his entranced listeners, “and the vampire was rendered helpless before us! Even so, he was defiant in his last moments! He would not give up, even when we came in for the kill! He resisted the power of the staff enough to claw at us and spit at us in fury! It was only then that we saw the sword in his possession!”

Behind him, Malek stood with the other Knight. Mortanius thought it was Turel, but it might have been one of the others. They held out the item wrapped in cloth and pulled it aside to reveal a sword. Raziel grabbed the hilt and raised it victoriously above his head.

The crowd gasped in surprise, and Mortanius’s breath caught in his chest. The sword was massive, with a blade like nothing he had ever seen before. It was not a straight blade, but curved and rippling like a snake slithering across the ground. The pommel was carved into a huge skull, or perhaps it actually was a skull. The sight of the blade mesmerized the crowd, as the light from the candles on the dining table reflected wildly across the serpentine blade.

“I used his own sword to end his life!” Raziel announced, his face twisted in excitement that bordered on insanity. “Janos is dead! At long last, the hated vampire race is no more!”

Moebius reared back in his seat, clapping gleefully and laughing in unbridled joy. The rest of the Guardians were more subdued, but still clearly excited and amazed by Raziel’s retelling of events. Mortanius couldn’t take his eyes of the sword. If it was a vampire artifact, as it clearly was, then he wanted to study it.

“And that’s not all,” Raziel said, lowering the sword. He let out an ominous laugh. “We saved a trophy from our encounter with the vampire lord. As proof of our victory!”

One of the other Knights held up a satchel and reached inside. He took out a glistening red object and gave it to Raziel, who held it aloft for everyone to see.

It was a heart. A severed heart, still sticky with blood. Stunned gasps and horrified shrieks came from the assembled guests who were close by, but Mortanius merely stared in disbelief, walking forward almost involuntarily.

“The vampire’s heart!” Raziel cried triumphantly. “I cut it from his chest with his own sword!”

Moebius, at the far end of the table, suddenly leaned forward, no longer laughing. “You cut out his heart? What about the body? Did you burn the body?”

“We left his butchered body lying by the altar in his fortress,” Raziel cackled. “We left it there to rot –”

“What?” Moebius bellowed, jumping up so fast that his chair flipped over behind him. “You were supposed to burn the body, you damned fool! I told you to burn the body!”

“I cut out his heart,” Raziel protested, holding up his grisly prize.

Mortanius shoved people out of the way as he approached the table. Everyone was so shocked by Moebius’s outburst that they almost didn’t notice that Mortanius had come forward.

His voice cut through the stunned silence. “Give the heart to me,” he demanded.

“What?” Raziel said, looking at him with a surprised expression. “My Lord Mortanius, I –”

“Give it to me!” Mortanius ordered.

He reached across the table and grabbed it from Raziel’s hand. It was larger than a human heart, although not by very much, but other than that it looked like a regular heart. Mortanius couldn’t be sure, but he thought he felt the slightest bit of warmth.

“Mortanius, what are you doing?” Moebius said.

“We have to study it,” he said to no one in particular. “This is our last chance to examine the vampires. There’s so much we still don’t know.”

“We have to burn it!” Moebius wailed. He was so worked up that his hands were shaking. “You know that we have to burn the body!”

“Not yet!” Mortanius argued. “Bring the body here so I can study it! Give me a few days and then we’ll burn it. A few days won’t make any difference, and if I can’t learn the truth in a few days, then I never will.”

Moebius pressed his hands against the sides of his face and let out a groan of frustration. Everyone else – the Guardians, the Sarafan, the servants – were too confused and stunned to speak. Raziel looked at Mortanius with a pathetic, whimpering look on his face, like a child watching his parents get into a fight. The momentary air of joy and celebration from just a few minutes ago was now long gone, and in its place was an awkward nervousness and sense of embarrassment.

Malek put his hand on Raziel’s shoulder and pushed down. Raziel tried to resist for a moment and then fell down into his seat, staring at the table with a petulant scowl. This was his moment to shine, and now everyone was ruining it.

“Mortanius,” Malek said in a restrained voice, “I gave my men clear instructions to burn the body of the vampire after it was dead. Apparently, they disregarded those instructions. Are you certain that it’s a good idea to bring the corpse here?”

“We know next to nothing about the vampires,” Mortanius said, staring at Janos’s heart. “Their anatomy, their physiology, why they have to drink blood to survive. It’s always been a mystery. This is an opportunity to finally learn some hard facts about what the vampires really are. Once we burn Janos’s body, we’ll never be able to study them again.”

“Why does it matter?” Moebius said. “They’re extinct now!”

“Their spawn certainly aren’t extinct!” Mortanius shot back. “What if we could discover the root cause of their bloodthirst? What if we could create a cure that could turn a half-breed back into a regular human?”

The other Guardians around the table immediately reacted. Some of them looked on with hopeful faces, and others whispered to each other, as if unwilling to interrupt the argument. Palton, however, stood up and leaned on the table. “You know what? I think Mortanius is right. Let’s give him a few days to study the vampire’s body and see what he can find out. No one is more qualified than he is to study the dead, after all.”

“I agree as well,” Ellendra said, nodding but not looking at anyone in particular. “I highly doubt that we’ll actually discover some kind of antidote, but we may learn something equally important. Knowledge for it’s own sake is a reward all by itself.”

“Fine!” Moebius spat, flipping his hands in the air. “Do an autopsy on his body if it will make you happy! I’ll give you a few days, and then we’re going to burn Janos in a bonfire so huge that everyone in Nosgoth will be able to see it!”

“Agreed,” Mortanius said.

Moebius snatched up his staff and stomped away. “Malek!” he shouted over his shoulder. “Come with me! I have to talk to you in private!”

“I’ll be there shortly, Moebius,” Malek said. He glared at the Sarafan Knights, who cowered under the onslaught of his gaze. “As for you men, get something to eat and make preparations to return to Uschtenheim. I want you out of here in less than two hours. I hope you enjoyed your time in command, Raziel, because it won’t happen again.”

Mortanius walked away from the table and headed for the hall. Ellendra called out to him and he stopped in the doorway.

She walked over, her hands folded in her sleeves. “That was quite a spectacle. I don’t think anyone expected an outburst like that. Moebius is probably as angry at you as he is at that posturing fool Raziel.”

“He’ll get over it,” Mortanius said.

“Why do I have a feeling that there was much that you and Moebius left unsaid? What do you know that we don’t? Why was he so adamant that the vampire’s body be burned?”

“That would take me a little while to explain. Let me take the heart downstairs and find someplace to store it. I want to check on a few things and then I’ll come back here and explain what we were arguing about.”

“All right,” Ellendra said.

“I won’t be long, I promise.”

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