Chapter 3: (566 years ago – the little fire)
566 years ago. (AC) (Kanthos: The City of Sin)
A long towering city wall extended into the night sky 10 stories high. Imprinted into the stone bore the carved faces of the Great High Lords of the past. Powerful vampires who helped shape the world’s existence were neatly carved in marking their spot in time. Their eyes made of pure black stones that glow blood red during the full moon.
Infused into the city gate were the bones of the ancient ones who died to protect the realm. A long winding pathway extended from the gate, stretching into the unknown outskirts of the city. It’s edges lined with hot brimstone, and lifeless bodies of those that failed to reach the city. Some called the outskirts the sea of bodies. Others ignored it altogether. This city forged by blood, was no sanctuary. Only the damned may enter, and those chosen by the damned.
This was the great vampire city Kanthos. Those who make their home here are warriors of the realm alongside their imprinted humans. those who were not warriors provided needed traits for the city. Only the top of their trade were allowed to live here. Kanthos was a highly sought after City. One of three powerful cities in the realm. Others who enter come for information, or to trade magic and wears in exchange for blood stones. It is these stones that provide the power in which mystical beings use to fuel their magic, and to provide power to the cities.
Outside the city gates on a blood moon night, lay a small child of nearly 1 week old nestled inside a handmade basket. He lay there swaddled neatly, fast asleep awaiting to be found. An elder by the name of Thaylnn stepped outside the gates only to accidentally stumble across this small child. “oh.. Well what do we have here?” Thalynn exclaimed.
Tiny little onyx eyes opened to his soft voice. Little fangs protruded from his lips. There were small punture wounds drawing beads of blood from his mouth staining the swaddle. This was normal for baby vampires. A common injury wound among them for not yet knowing how to control their fangs.
Thaylnn quickly scooped him up into his arms, and held him against his chest. He peered around to see the deliverer of this child, and found they were gone. He then made his way back into the city with the gates slowly shutting behind him.
This newborn child was unlike anything Thaylnn had ever seen. Most vampires bore eye colors similar to humans. Never has he seen eyes like this. They were pure black, and glossy. A concerned Thaylnn quickly trotted down the city cobblestone streets speaking to nobody. His destination was the infirmary. Inside the cathedral like building was a vast network of advanced medical knowledge, equipment, a library full of ancient medical text, and a staff of the brightest vampires who dedicated their lives to medicine.
Thaylnn’s long grey hair swaying side to side as his pace quickened inside. He didn’t want to make a scene. Any vampires with defects are destroyed, and burned. He needed to be sure this was something else.
He made his way to the infant ward baby bundled tightly, as to show nobody his eyes. “Fay” he barks out. A small fragile young female vampire exited a nursery room looking alarmed. Fay was one of the top doctors in the city. She was Small, thin, with short black hair and deadly blue eyes, blue crystals that eyed Thaylnn cautiously as he entered. It wasn’t often a high lord was present there, and when they were it was usually urgent.
Fay was highly respected by the city. She was strong, and fierce. She would have been a warrior if it wasn’t for her brilliant mind. She was unique in that she was only the age of 612 years old. Hardly out of adolescent years, and with the knowledge of an medical elder. She was smart beyond her years.
“Lord Thalynn this is a pleasant surprise. What brings you to the nursery.” fay said looking at the swaddled infant in his arms. She removed her gloves, and made her way to him.
“Id like you to examine this one. I found it outside the city gates alone in a basket.” He explained.
“The city gates? That is unusual.”
“very. What’s more unusual is this.” Thaylnn turned the infant towards her, and exposed his face.
Immediately Fay’s eyes filled with curiosity. The tiny vampire squinted his eyes at the ceiling above them. She reached over and lifted his eyelid to get a better look. “hmm” she said.
“What is this?” he asked.
“let me see the child.” she took the infant from him, and removed the swaddle carefully exposing his natural pale white flesh. It was obvious it was male. She lifted him up to her face and examined his body finding nothing out of the ordinary other than his eyes.
“I’m not sure what this is. You said he was left outside the city gate?” Fay asked.
“he was alone yes. Is this a defect?”
“I’ll have to run some tests. I can’t say. I’ll admit this is a first for me as well. Leave him with me, I’ll inform you of the results when I’m done.”
“Make this a priority Fay, I want the results immediately. We can’t have defects taking up any unnecessary resources.”
“yes Lord. I’ll have a messenger notify you the moment I can make out what it is.”
Fay takes the child into an examination room and lays him down on a table. His arms and legs kicking outward as he makes a fuss from these new surroundings.
“hush now little one.” she says softly trying to calm him down. “now let’s see what you are.” she pulls back his lips exposing his tiny white fangs, and finds nothing abnormal. She pulls up his arm, and holds it down gently wiping it clean.
Fay reaches to the cabinet against the wall to find a blood draw kit, and frowns when she finds one isn’t there, and instead pulls a few vials from her pockets. She looks around to make sure nobody is looking. “let’s keep this between us, okay?” she says. Lifting up his arm she exposes one of her fangs, and gently pierces one of the veins on his forearm
Clearly breaking protocol she holds the vial to his wound, and collects a sample. “you’re a tough little guy. Not even a whimper.” she put the vials in a container, and places it in the receptical on the wall and shoots it away to the processing lab for analysis.
She won’t know much until she gets the results. Until then the baby is placed in the Nursery by the staff. Since this is a priority she figures she’ll head down to the lab herself. There’s no time to waste.
Fay makes her way in the lab and stands by patiently as a few workers process the sample. The usual tests are performed and the results are digitally submitted to the mainframe. She then pulls up a chair and begins to read the results.
Upon glancing everything seems usual until she comes across the T-cell count. “oh my!” she whispers. She can’t believe what she’s seeing. The baby’s T-cell count is off the charts reading in at around 1.6 million, and counting. There’s no way. The typical T count of the average warrior vampire was only two to four hundred thousand. His was still rising.
“You. Come here” she says. One of the lab workers makes his way over. “I need you to send a messenger to summon Thaylnn.” He nods and leaves the room. She looks back at the screen that now reads 1.8 million, and her eyes grow wider.
This is the highest count she’s ever seen. Even the strongest of warriors hardly make it over five hundred thousand. This was a breakthrough. Then she wondered if this has any correlation with his eyes. Possibly. As far as she knows there has never been a vampire to have ever lived before with that high of a count.
A since of honor washed over her. If this was correct then she’s the vampire to discover the most powerful being they have ever encountered. At the same time this could also be dangerous. Power that strong can’t be handled if it goes out of control. Thaylnn may want him destroyed. How sad that would be to not be able to learn from this. To study the baby closer and see it’s effects.
Unfortunately this wasn’t her decision. There is an order to things, and it’s critical order is followed. Still though imagine what use he could bring, and what ability type would he be? One of the elements? Telekinesis? Power? If he was destroyed she’d never get the chance to see what a 1.8 cell count does to the body.
Thaylnn suddenly bust through the door, this time with Mika, another high lord of the city. “I hear we have an unusual baby among us.” Mika says curiously.
“We most certainly do miss. Lord Thaylnn, if you’ll take a look at These readings. I don’t know who he is sir, or where it is he came from but this child has the highest T cell count I have ever seen. Definitely more than any other vamp in the city.” Fay explained trying not to sound to excited.
thaylnn raised his eyebrows, and looked to Mika. “how high is it?” he asked.
“it’s 1.8 million Lord.”
“are you positive this is so? Is there anyway these results could be a false reading Fay?”
“No Lord, these sample tests are 98% accurate. We haven’t had a false test before.”
Suddenly Mika leaned over and whispered into Thaylnn’s ear, and they both stepped out of the room for a moment to talk. When they walked back in they both had a worried look on their faces.
“Lord If I may, this could be a wonderful breakthrough in our studies. He could be a most powerful ally. Imagine all we can learn from this.” fay’s Blue eyes darted back and forth studying there facial expressions fearing the worst.
“yes Fay… But he may also be the worst enemy as well. Never have we encountered this before. I fear once the word gets out to the other Lords they would say the same thing. It’s highly unpredictable, and that makes him dangerous.” he softly says.
“Show us the child.” Mika says.
“Yes Miss. Right this way.”
They make there way back to the nursery where the infant lay. His eyes were wide awake, and he was reaching at the toys that were hanging above his pod.
“oh my!” Mika barked as she lay eyes oh the child’s black innocent onyx eyes. “this is quite peculiar.” she exclaims. “yes I see what you mean now Thaylnn. I see no other choice. With that said she leaves the room.
Thaylnn hangs over the child, looking almost sad at what he’s about to say. Fay already knew before he opened his mouth.
“Destroy it. See to it nobody hears of this. I’m sorry Fay but we’ve no other choice. Actually… Allow me. You’re clearly upset.” he says.
Fay wanted to s****h the boy and run, but she knew better. “yes lord” was all she could manage to squeeze out.
Thaylnn gently picked the child up and both him and Fay made there way to the passing room. This was a room designed to destroy any defects of the city. Inside contained a large incinerator, with a sliding metal table with straps in the center.
Fay has burned many bodies without feeling a thing, but this miracle that found his way into her life would clearly cause her a great amount of pain. Thaylnn as well, although it’s his job to hide emotion.
A loud humming sound echoed across the room as the incinerator powered on. Bright flames appeared behind the thick small window on the closed door. Thaylnn unlatched the locking mechanism and opened the door. It slid up its track making a loud metallic bang as it became flush with the roof of the machine.
Thaylnn held the child in the air. He was cooing now, and swatting at his nose. His tiny fangs sticking out just past his lips. Thaylnn looked sad, and went to speak but closed his mouth and advanced.
Fay couldn’t watch. This was to much. She turned her head to the wall and closed her eyes anticipating the painful cry as the child burned. It would be quick she thought. It always was. But the cry didn’t come.
Instead she heard the loud sound of the incinerator door slamming closed, and the machine turning off. She snapped her head back around only to still see Thaylnn holding him in the air with a look of shock on his face.
“Lord Thaylnn… Have you reconsidered?” Fay says shocked.
Thaylnn slowly turned his head towards her. “I didn’t shut the door Fay… He did!”
The baby grabbed Thaylnn by the nose, and made an excited loud cooing noise and playfully bopped him on his nose repeatedly. Thaylnn stunned, placed the child down on the table and chuckled under his breath amazed at what he just saw.
“wait what?! But.. He’s barely a week old Lord.”
“yes… This is quite incredible. Let me try something” he says, and lifts his hand in the air. Making his palm flat, and holding it above the baby, Thaylnn emitted a Small flame and had it dance above the child’s face.
His black onyx eyes followed the fire as it danced. The Red reflection bounced off his black glossy eyes. The cooing child suddenly reached up and grabbed the fire, manipulated it into two flames, and put them in his mouth.
A sudden look of shock formed on his face and he immediately started coughing up smoke, and then started to cry.
Theylnn suddenly let out a ripping roar of laughter, then turned to Fay who looked baffled by what she just saw. “he’s an adventures little thing isn’t he?” he said.
“well Lord it looks like we found his ability. He’s a fire mage.” fay said smiling.
“oh no Fay he’s more than that. Fire mages don’t shut heavy doors with their minds. No he’s something else.”
“does this mean you’ve changed your mind?”
“yes… There’s much to study with this one.”
Fay could see he’s grown an attachment to him. She smiles happily.
“what about the other high lords?” she asks.
“You let me worry about them. what shall we name him?” thaylnn asks looking at her.
Fay reaches down and grabs his small pale hands. The child coos and grips her index finger, and pulls it to his mouth and bites her. “ouch!” she giggles. “must be payback from earlier” she laughs to herself.
“hmm… How about… Aidan… Lord?”
“yes… Little fire… I like it. Aidan it is!”
“
