The wagon had four windows, one attached to a door where the horse reigns lay, and three tiny windows, two on the side with brown shutters, and one on the back end of the wagon without shutters.
The door swung open.
A pitchfork emerged. Jabbing out the door several times, then the pitchfork drew back inside. A frumpy, waddling older woman appeared. Her eyes pierced a weary haunt. Rows of beaded necklaces swayed back and forth, rubbing against each other as she moved. She covered her head with a long, purple bandana, yet her white hair flowed down her shoulders and back from under the bandana. Several heavy, gold earrings dangled, tugging at the skin on her earlobes. She wore a lengthy, not purposefully tight, Bohemian style, long-sleeved dress. She also wore outer layers of thinner fabric and a shawl covering over her dress.
Vincent, vision impaired and senses dulled, only saw the glimmer of a silver crescent moon necklace that hung low around her neck as she approached. She waddled slowly down the wagon’s steps, and the wagon leaned from each side as she stepped. She narrowed her eyes and carefully glanced up and around through the woods.
She quickly walked over to where Vincent lay and kneeled next to him.
“After all this time, they still torture us.” She wiped the blood from his mouth. “Oh, my!” she pulled up his shirt and put her hand over her mouth when she saw his skin. “You are in trouble, my friend.”
His eyes rolled back. The light in the sky vanished. The trees and branches quieted. Everything went black for Vincent.
Sometime later, Vincent felt a jostling, his body ever so slightly swaying. He opened his eyes. There was a small window above him. The branches outside were moving. He was in a lumpy, but comfortable bed, wrapped in a heavy quilt. He pulled back the quilt and noticed his wounds were dressed. A white cloth wrapped firmly around his stomach, back, and hands. He tried to sit up, but grimaced and settled back down when his body could not move as he needed.
“Where am I? Who are you?” Vincent softly shouted. It hurt to even speak.
The wagon came to a stop. A large, round shadowy figure blocked the light as it neared the part of the wagon where he lay.
“You are hurt. You are too thin. What happened to you?” a low, dense female voice gently said.
Vincent moved away from her. “Those demons back there, the ones that attacked me in the woods…”
The large woman lit a lantern and held it to her kind, aged face. “My friend, that was days ago, and they were not demons, but just bad men.” She moved closer and sat next to him on the bed. “I didn’t know if you’d ever wake up.”
“What? No, I have to…I have to…I don’t know. I can’t remember.”
“It’s a shame they won’t leave us Gypsies alone.” She reached out and touched another bandage wrapped around his head.
“Gypsies?”
“Yes, Gypsies.” She raised an eyebrow. “How did you get such deep puncture wounds on your back?”
“I was fighting…I think.” He winced, grabbing at his back. He sat up with her help. “I don’t really know.”
“My name is Mala.”
“I’m…”
“It is all right.” Mala placed her hand over his. “You will remember when your body heals.”
Vincent vigorously rubbed his palm to his forehead. “The pain, why won’t it stop?”
“I have medicine for you.” She reached over, lifted a teakettle, and poured foul-smelling liquid into a cup. “Here. Drink.”
Vincent inched the cup to his lips. He looked up at Mala and sipped. “Oh, that’s worse than it smells.”
“I know, but it is making you better.”
“Are you sure?” Vincent puckered.
“You were septic, my friend.” She touched the binding wraps covering his back and stomach. “If not for the silver dressings to the ulcers from those punctures, and this tea from an ancient tree extract, you would be dead by now.”
Mala smiled. She got up and walked back toward the front of the wagon.
“Thank you.” Vincent took a deep, painful breath.
Mala stopped and peered back at him. “Just get better, my friend.”
“Mala.”
“Yes?”
“I keep seeing the face of a beautiful woman in my mind. I think she’s in trouble, or something bad happened to her. I need to go.”
Mala turned around to face Vincent. “You can’t move, so how can you help? You don’t even remember your own name. Here.” She untangled one of her many long, beaded necklaces and placed it in his hand.
“What’s this?”
“A tool for deep thoughts.” Mala turned around and went back to the front of the wagon, and it began to move again, gently swaying from side to side.
Vincent looked at the beaded necklace. He stared out the window above him.
The melancholy sky darkened with clusters of gray clouds, none of which had a silver lining. He unknowingly rubbed the beaded necklace together. The friction hummed in his hand. Quicker he rubbed the beads between his fingers and thumb. Other images danced around his mind, images too bizarre to explain. He remembered a man with a scarred face and glass eye, a strong young man in a trench coat, and a subway station. Then he saw three demonic creatures attacking him from all sides at nighttime. He saw a vivid castle on a mountaintop, with grand spires, flaming torches, high walls, and hundreds of archers. He saw a glowing sword in his hand, and then, he saw her—she was in amongst golden wheat fields. She smiled and beckoned him to follow her. She was beyond beautiful. She was beauty itself.
“Come on. Hurry up, come get me,” her feminine voice echoed, and she playfully laughed.
“Who are you? WHO ARE YOU?” Vincent whispered with frustration. His eyes grew large. He gasped and dropped the beaded necklace. Reaching toward the window, he sat up and yelled aloud, “She needs me!” He slid back into bed and repeated, “She needs me. She needs me.” An orange, black, and white spotted butterfly briefly rested on the glass before it flew off, and Vincent gently faded into sleep.
THE PEOPLE, PLACES, AND THINGS
Once, immortals had a singular vision…until the Shroud appeared. Now thousands of years of human history have been shaped by something other than humankind. Two immortal factions have developed a long-standing and ever-growing divide. Unseen to human eyes, immortal knights are trying to protect our world from the Shroud’s manipulations.
Yet as the pendulum of power fluctuates between the immortal knights and the Shroud, an ancient evil arises. Dwellers threaten to unveil the immortals’ mystical, cloaked presence to the eyes of humanity.
Today, the most dangerous is that which is least likely, and the truly impossible lies in changing one’s mind.
And so begins the epic journey…
Acerbus, age 6,483
The last immortal king, his reign was pure and true, yet then, Acerbus forgot his vows, and lost his purpose.
A magnificent king who brought peace to the immortals, yet when he was a small child, his grandmother had his siblings and parents killed by his father’s own royal guard. Acerbus was hidden away, thought dead, but at a tender age, ripped the throne away from his grandmother. Nevertheless, as a young adult, his obsession with the prophecy of two children born of two worlds became his undoing. Jealousy crept into his soul. Acerbus permitted his own heart to harden against his people, his goodness melted away, and his rule over them became a harsh one.
Acuumyn, age 6,501
Acuumyn is only a title for the spiritual leader of the knighthood as their guiding compass in a desolate world.
The keeper of the temple where younglings are chosen to become knights, Acuumyn has never seen a bleaker time than now for his students. The temple has been locked from his access. Almost all of his former knights in training have turned to Malum and the Shroud, but still he hopes, for a person needs hope, even if
all hope is lost. That is why he has broken every sacred command of the immortals to deliver the Sphere Atlas to Revekka and Maximillian. He needs them to transport the powerful device to the knights’ last stronghold, a castle on the other side of the earth. To Revekka alone he gives a cryptic message—to bid his son inside the castle, a last goodbye.
Alcazar
Of all Malum’s companions, Alcazar is his most trusted, even if he is just a crow.
With feathers so black they appear blue, Alcazar jealously defends his master every chance he gets. One of the smartest creatures on Earth, Alcazar fashions himself the smartest of his kind. Madly hopping about on his T-shaped perch, he caws for Malum’s attention as well as the crumbs in his pocket.
Apertures
Portals and gateways for instantaneous travel around the world.
Not every immortal is powerful enough to summon an aperture. Not all locations have an aperture to summon, but if you can find one, it’s the only way to travel.
Apollos, age 15
Undersized for his age, he is the only son of the keeper of the temple, Acuumyn. Even if no one else believes in him, he quietly embodies the greatest ideals of the knighthood, but not the fight.
A knight in training, Apollos hasn’t the stomach for a fight, but he knows all the rules. He’s found it hard to be the son of the knights’ guiding overseer, but he is secretly watching David James and Danielle, protecting them without their knowing.
The Artifex
A skill, a craft, a power wielded by the Shroud and knights alike.
The Artifex can be used by more skilled immortals to summon metaphysical weapons. The striker is the weapon of choice. Immortals can summon swords/strikers of unique and great power. With this power, immortals can push objects, pull fates together, and bend the collective will of humanity.
Aurielle, age 14
A young, fiery knight with a strong sense of righteous indignation.
Aurielle wants to be the knight she was always meant to be. However, in order to do that, she needs to remember the story of Vincent and Noemi when matters of her own heart are at stake. Balanced and sensical, she is well aware that knights are forbidden to marry or have intimate love, for it pollutes dedication to the commitment made when facing the ultimate price.
Benoit, age 17
Big, strong, muscular, and fast, he has the bravery and power of a knight, but still there is something lacking.
Full of bravado, and second in command to castle master Caaron, Benoit is ready to lead the knights into the coming immortal war, even if he’s the only one who thinks this. Fighting on behalf of humans, which he’s certain are inherently flawed and unredeemable, Benoit quietly bides his time for something better.
The Bleary Guild
From father to son, and mother to daughter, the archers have served as mortal ambassadors along the castle walls for thousands of years.
An esoteric society, some humans have friended the immortal knights from the beginning. The Bleary Guild is such a group. These archers were trained by immortals, so their arrows soar with accuracy. One notable member of the Bleary Guild once called Sherwood Forest his home.
Blood Eclipse
A time when Malum will use all his powers to block out the sun.
In order for the Dwellers to attack the castle, the sun needs to disappear. Fortunately, for the Dwellers, Malum has that covered.
Caaron, age 6,595
He is the keeper of the castle in the mountains of southern California.
Elderly, Caaron has lived a long and rich life, but alas, he was mortally wounded by Malum during the Shadow Harvest. Caaron is now bed fast. His immortal powers have faded with his advanced age. His time is running out, and a new successor has not been chosen to lead in his place. Yet, he foresaw this, and back in the Dark Ages, he planted a seed in all the races of humanity to save them in our time.
Cascades of Nicodemus
Hidden in a cave along a vast desert, the pools of water reside, and it is here that every mortal life can be viewed in full.
Named for the philosopher that discovered the cascades, Nicodemus said that no one should take liberties of judgement by watching the cascades watery reflection upon gross imperfection. Acerbus knew the writings of Nicodemus well from youngling to adult, yet he kept looking, so as to desire things he ought not, thus twisting his thoughts unfavorably.
The Castle
The castle is the last safe place on Earth. The castle is a refuge for the knights, the Bleary Guild, and a few mortal children who have the gift.
Invisible to mortal eyes, the castle is immense, with hundreds of rooms, secret tunnels, hanging gardens, and hundred-foot walls. This is where the knights battle and train. The last flicker fruit tree resides within the castle’s walls. The source of all life remains hidden beneath its cobblestone streets.
Celestial Pyre
A flame that lives and breathes life into all life.
Only a few knights know of its existence. The Celestial Pyre provides the mystic power harnessed by all immortals and a few mortal children. The flame has been dying for a thousand years, and not even its keeper, Ericson, knows what will happen when it finally burns out.
Corbrak, age unknown
A former member of the Doyen Council—a council of immortals who ensure that dealings between humans and immortals remain free from tampering—Duke Corbrak has dissolved the council in the midst of an uprising by the knighthood.
Corbrak loves his secrets, secrets he’s kept from Malum, and even secrets he’s kept from the Shroud itself. Corbrak is content to serve the one who leads the Shroud. He has locked the doors to the knights’ temple, and as far as he’s concerned, the knights are an outdated culture fit only for destruction.
Danielle James, age 15 and ¾
Twin sister of David James, though she tells everyone she’s older, if only by a few seconds.
The only daughter of a hardworking, single mother, Danielle has always believed her father died in a car accident the day she was born. Recently, Danielle discovered the truth, that her father was an immortal, and that he died while protecting his two children from those that would take them away. Danielle wants nothing to do with her immortal half. She wants to go to prom, keep a boyfriend, and go to college…that is if she can see the point to anything in life anymore.
The Dark Arts and Sciences
The things in the darkness are not always evil, but rather gifts and powers that are poorly understood by the willfully ignorant.
How can a knife be used to both cut a tomato and yet kill a person? Many immortals have wondered how and why the power gifted them from an eternal source could be used for both good and bad deeds. Malum coined the phrase “dark arts and sciences” because he’s the self-proclaimed professor of gray, and he believes gray has more to teach than the black and white imparted by the knights.
David James, age 15 and slightly less than ¾
Non-identical twin of Danielle James, he’s a happy-go-lucky sort with a quick temper and a talent for being bullied.
In the history of history, no immortal human bond has ever produced offspring, but David and his sister are the first and only. Their birth remained a secret from even the wisest immortal, yet when the siblings grew, they garnered attention both good and bad for their unique gifts. Unlike his sister, when learning of the immortal’s prophecy concerning them, David embraced the idea of destiny and freewill as not opposites, but equals in his life. School bores him, yet he always knew greater things called from afar.
Dominic, age 19
Once the first-in-command under Malum, he was banished to a desert island by the Shroud, yet he is plotting his revenge, and though there is no rescue in sight, his vengeance will not be late.
A former knight, Dominic hates Jak. Dominic hates Vincent. Dominic hates humans, especially h
alf-breeds, but Dominic loved Noemi, that is, until she got with that loser Vincent. Now everything just plain sucks, so he’ll have to settle for the next best thing…power, lots of it, and then maybe he’ll get Noemi back, or kill her while trying.
Doyen Council
A council set up to prevent the misuse of power by any potential monarchy.
A group of eleven overseers who decide matters of right and wrong versus legal and illegal behaviors. Acuumyn and Corbrak are both members of the Doyen Council. To disobey a command from the Doyen Council means death, even for a king.
Dwellers, ages unknown
Dwellers do three things very well. They kill to eat, they kill to briefly take the shape of a human, and they kill to create more Dwellers.
History has been rewritten hundreds of times to protect the present. One of those times, the Dwellers had nearly wiped out all human life, and ever since then, the power of immortals over human society has shifted out of balance. Dwellers are not simply a mindless horde, but rather they are as unique as you and I, for they once were like you and I. Some have been so many people, like Killian, they can no longer remember who they were in the beginning anymore. The same substance that gives the immortals everlasting life, keeps the Dwellers in a state of everlasting death and decay. For the legend of mighty Dwellers now thought to be extinct, only a few lowly ones hunt the Parisian catacombs as specters for whatever the tunnels provide.
Echoes
A brief opening into an aperture after another immortal passes through.
Whenever an aperture is opened, there’s a split second between when it closes and when it disappears, and these split seconds are called echoes. In theory, another could follow the one that opened the aperture through the echoes left. However, echoes can be unstable, unpredictable, and dangerous, and thus, unsuitable except as a last option of travel.