Текст книги "Red Serpent: The Falsifier"

The year was 3328 A.D and the vampiric race had almost succeeded in conquering the humans. The invaders expected an easy victory but the war lasted for almost fifteen years. They had underestimated the humans, presuming them to be weak and incompetent. On the contrary, they found them to be a formidable enemy.

General John Benjamin Howe III despised fear, which was the only emotion he felt now. However, he did not show this to his men who looked up to him. Externally he emanated courage and valiance. He had to. He knew in his heart they were going to lose this battle but he still wanted to fight it to the bitter end.

John surveyed his brave men, each one of them ready to fight, and sensed their fear. “Listen!” he said. Every single man of all the one hundred and fifty thousand units remained silent, eager to hear their general. “What do you hear?” he continued, cupping his right ear. He turned to the open battlefield with his back to the army. “Watch! Tell me what you see?” In their hearts, they already knew the answer. “Death!” He spat. “Do you all think that it’s death? If it were so, we would not be here now at the final battle, so close to victory. We are a tougher species than that!

“I’ll tell you what I hear,” boomed the General. “I hear the clamor of more than a hundred thousand vampiric blood-stained swords. I hear the battle cry of the human race, a cry that shall be written in the annals of history as the roar of a lion that vanquished its enemy. For I tell you, we will rise again out of the ashes. We will cry so loud that the entire universe will know that if they cross us they’ll perish!” The general waved his sword in the air. “Let me hear that cry now!”

The large army shouted in unison, clattered their swords against each other and stamped their feet. The ground trembled all the way to the vampiric army, two thousand meters away.

“And,” he went on in the same vein, “I’ll tell you what I see. I see the armies of Anaxagoras begging for mercy because they have been subjugated. For those who seek to conquer will be conquered. I see them crushed by our boots. I see them all destroyed by the sword and wrath of the human race!” Again, there was a loud outburst of enthusiasm. “Come, my brothers-in-arms: let’s show them what we’re made of!”

They marched on as death’s shadow towered over each one of them, ready to pounce and devour them.

“General,” said Nikolas to Varenkoff in the ancient vampiric language. “Is everything ready?” He stared into the eyes of the Rebel and sensed a great amount of apprehension in them. He wondered if his comrade’s eyes simply reflected his own emotions; for a moment he thought he saw fear personified as a cloaked and brooding figure in the crimson darkness.

“Yes,” Varenkoff said, “The scouts we sent are posted midway between here and the human army.” He whispered, “Once we reach the area, our units will be ready and we’ll catch them by surprise.” Nikolas noticed the fear and doubt in Varenkoff’s tone.

General Nikolas Gareng was a member of the Rebels, and he had been careful not to let the Imperial Regime know this. Ever since the beginning of the Great Rebellion, he played the part of the heroic and loyal subject of the king. He was useful to the Rebels because he showed them the vampires’ most secret of plans. Now, at the final battle, he would reveal his true allegiance.

At the start, John Howe didn’t trust him. He seemed too much of a loyalist to be a Rebel or to help the humans. But over the years the human general learned to trust him with his life and even became like a brother to him. There was a time when Nikolas disapproved of John and his ways. The human wanted to study the vampiric mythologies and ancient lore in order to learn their ways of energy manipulation. Nikolas felt that it was wrong for any human to even think of this. But as the years passed and the war magnified in scale, Nikolas knew he needed to be more forgiving and accepting. At his cousin’s behest he started to accept the humans and finally came to see what John really was: a loyal man to life itself and a man of honor. For that he respected him. Eventually, their friendship grew and was strengthened by their family ties.

“Where is he?” Nikolas asked as he thought of his cousin. “We don’t have much time. If the army senses we’re together, it will ruin the entire operation.”

“He should be here shortly.” Varenkoff said.

At that instant a fiery dashing warrior appeared, flying through the dark red sky. Above him the thick black clouds looked like they were about to burst. A blue light encapsulated him, giving him the appearance of an avenging angel returning from the heavens to report on the battle with Satan. He flew towards them and gently landed on the ground with his feet.

“What are you doing here?” he asked Nikolas. “Weren’t we supposed to go directly to the king?”

“There seems to be a change of plans, Aidan. We will go to the king, but first I have to make contact with General Howe. He’s to tell me when to go. He commands that you go ahead first and wait for me and do as the king bids. Buy time. As much as you can. But if there’s going to be any kind of conflict, be quick with it and assassinate him.” They could hear the Imperial army fast approaching. “Go now!” said Nikolas. They embraced each other, and Nikolas said to him, “Be careful, brother!”

Aidan levitated off the ground and sped off through the clouds.

Varenkoff shook Nikolas’s hand and flew high into the air. His body twisted rapidly and returned down to the earth where he dug deep into the ground between the two armies. Nikolas waited for Anaxagoras’s army, calculating his next move.

A few minutes later he could see them marching over the horizon, led by General Adiraan. When they reached Nikolas’s tent, they stopped at Adiraan’s command. Nikolas walked up to the general and embraced him. Adiraan smiled and said, “After all these years, we shall have victory.” His deep raspy voice rang in Nikolas’s ears. Every time he heard him speak, Nikolas felt a fear rise from his heart. He felt as if Adiraan knew too much, that he knew Nikolas’s true allegiance. But for now, he let it slide from his mind and returned Adiraan’s smile.

“Yes,” Nikolas said. “Come, let’s ready the men.” He put his arm over Adiraan’s shoulder and they approached the two hundred thousand soldiers. Nikolas ordered them to be at ease and inspected them with a general’s eye. They were the crème de la crème of the king’s battalions. Their armor and shields were embossed like the warriors of old in gold and white gold and depicted a cross with a serpent wound around it. Some carried swords, some bow and arrows, and some axes, all intricately designed. “Now!” shouted Nikolas in the modern tongue, “my men, is the time to show this scum race what and who we really are. We came here to conquer, and conquer we shall!” They burst out into shouts of fervor for war and blood. Nikolas turned around and saw John’s army reaching closer. He continued, “Look at the army you are about to face charging at us in a frenzy! But we are better than that; more civilized. Let us end this war once and for all!” He broke into a jog and they followed him, their pace increasing with every step.

As they rushed closer to the enemy, Nikolas’s heart heaved. Something was going on at the King’s Base. “General,” he said as they charged onwards. General Adiraan turned to his left as he sprinted along with his men. “Take charge of this legion!” Adiraan nodded and Nikolas flew off into the air.

Aidan monitored the large curved surface of the ship, black with the volcanic ash of Antarctica. The volcanoes that erupted here, as a result of nuclear global warming and four world wars, created a hellish environment of soot, ash, and lava. There was no vegetation and other than humans and vampires, there was no life. The fumes made it almost impossible for humans to breathe, so this area was the best possible place for the king to remain safe. Soon after the war it was known to all as the King’s Base.

He’s in there,Aidan thought. His target’s presence, deep within the thick walls of the ship, emanated a dark and deadly aura of hatred. He landed on the cliff, a few meters away from the base. His brow furrowed deep in concentration, as if looking through the ship.

The entrance to the base opened up and five guards, all dressed in black and maroon, flew towards Aidan and drew their swords. The leader of the guards addressed him, “You’ve been commanded to come with us.”

“I don’t take commands from anyone. Especially your king!” Aidan spat into the guard’s face.

“If I didn’t consider your lineage,” the guard replied, “I would have killed you already.” He wiped the spit away. The other guards bound Aidan with handcuffs and tied chains around him. The chains were made of an alloy of silver and steel; there was just enough silver to keep him tortured but not enough to be fatal. Because of their rebellion, Aidan and those who followed him suffered to be unprotected by the king’s presence.

“Come along, scum!” The guard shouted. The others dragged him and hovered back to the base. As they neared their destination, Aidan scrutinized the ship with more attention. He noticed the black dust covering the once reflective silver ship. They landed near the entrance and walked on. It grew darker. The large edge of the ship towered over them like a massive cover. The ground beneath them felt rugged and almost rubbery. Vein-like crevices broke apart as they walked, and lava oozed out slowly. “Hurry up,” the leader of the guards said, frustrated as he pulled on the chains attached to Aidan’s cuffs. The silver door slid upwards. Light filled the spacious passageway as they entered the threshold.

The inside was very similar to the ancient pyramids of Egypt. Hieroglyphs written in Cuneiform, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Sanskrit were engraved in the walls. Aidan read some of them but their meanings seemed undecipherable. All he could fathom was something about a legend of the First Vampire of the Race. Other scriptures, the ancient relics of Migra, seemed to float and were encased in glass. Aidan remembered seeing one of the texts somewhere, once a very long time ago.

It hit him. Of course! They were the prophecies of Ardemis, referring to the Falsifier. The same prophecies he had made thousands of years later. These scriptures remained unknown at the time of his prophetic utterances. Then one day an excavation in Antarctica revealed many ancient relics in this very cave the ship was lodged in. Amongst these finds were the vampiric scriptures, along with the apocrypha texts and the Ardemic Prophecies. There were many, and only a few had been translated into the modern dialect. Since not many knew the ancient dialects, Anaxagoras took it upon himself to study and unravel the truths of the vampires.

“Stop,” said the leader of the pack. “We’re to leave you here.” They stopped in front of the throne room. A large pure copper crucifix, green in color, with a red brass serpent wound around it, seemed to protect the massive platinum double-door.

The guards unchained Aidan but left on the handcuffs and took their leave. From the other side of the door, a snakelike voice hissed, “Enter.” The door opened and Aidan walked in.

The hall was large and dark. A dim light surrounded the throne where the king sat. Just as his predecessor had done, he dressed like the dark figure who had given him new life. His face was covered by a dark cloak, but the pale light revealed his pronounced mouth and bone-white skin. “Welcome, Aidan.” Anaxagoras lifted his hands and unbound him with his will. He motioned for the soldier to come and Aidan felt himself being pushed towards the king. As he came closer, the flames of the torches all around the room grew hotter and brighter. They revealed gray walls adorned with weapons and shields embossed with various noble family crests. Aidan saw another crest, more intricately designed and larger than all the others, behind the black marble throne. It was the majestic and ancient emblem of the king’s lineage and it was the same symbol of the serpent round the cross that was emblazoned on all the shields of the vampires.

“Take a seat, Aidan,” said the king, moving a chair towards his visitor using his mind. “I know why you have come here,” he continued once Aidan sat down.

Aidan sealed his mind so the king couldn’t read it. But what if he knew already?

“It is an assassination attempt...isn’t it?” the king asked. His wide mouth broke into a wicked smile, revealing large fangs.

Aidan swallowed his fear and said nothing.

Underneath the hood, the king chuckled softly. The deep demonic laugh echoed across the hall and rang in Aidan’s ears. “Well then, finish me off if you must, young Aidan,” the king said.

“It is not that,” the Rebel said, “I do want diplomatic relations to continue–”

“Useless! Your words are pathetic! Do you think peace can exist after all this? Do you think that the armies will surrender so easily?”

Aidan was taken aback. “Our army will not,” he said, gathering himself. “What we’re fighting for is freedom, for democracy–”

“Democracy!” the king shouted, “You really have no idea what you’re fighting for.”

“Of course I know what I am fighting for.”

As if not listening, the king rose from his throne and with a flick of the wrist, he materialized a sword out of thin air, long with a silver hilt and adorned with onyx and gold.

Aidan stood up and backed away, preparing himself and materializing his own weapon.

The king’s face darkened as he stepped down from the throne.

Aidan moved forward.

The two armies clashed into each other with a mighty force. The impact ruptured bodies and sprayed out blood, creating shockwaves in the ground as human and vampire pushed and shoved. The chaotic battle spread out for miles around.

Suddenly, Adiraan and his men were ambushed by a large number of Rebel battalions that hid beneath the ground. The first, third, fifth, seventh, and ninth columns of the vampire army stopped abruptly. A group of fifty thousand Rebels sprang up as the ground cracked open. Vast amounts of lava spewed into the air. Led by Varenkoff, the Rebels flew up and protected the human army with a large energy bubble that deflected most of the enemy attacks. The Rebels that hid amongst their enemy attacked with full force, catching a quarter of the Imperials by surprise. But the enemy was still under the king’s protection, proving all attacks against them ineffective. Aidan had yet to fulfill his mission. The situation worsened when the Imperials resurrected the humans from the dead and turned them into their mindless warrior slaves.

General Howe half-expected this and ordered another full blown attack on the vampires. If they were able to corner them with the help of the Rebels, the enemy would surely surrender until backup arrived.

Varenkoff knew what Howe planned, and followed this strategy. Anaxagoras’s army was trapped but the king’s general immediately called for reinforcements. As they waited, he used his will to control the forces of nature. The ground shook and cracked once more as copious amounts of red hot liquid spurted out. Smoke and steam rose out as lava quickly filled the cracks and burned everything in its path, including the human army.

“Varenkoff!” shouted General Howe. “Do something!” The Rebel general ordered a command to his army and the Rebels levitated the human army into the air and created another powerful protective aura. A translucent blue shield covered them. The Imperial warriors launched energy beams in an attempt to destroy the spherical shield. This is getting out of hand,thought John as he looked to Varenkoff.

Varenkoff knew what his comrade was thinking and said, “What would you have us do?”

“There must be some way to stop this!” John said.

The Imperial reinforcements arrived and renewed the attack. Thousands of them flew towards the battle, but before they could get close the Rebels blasted them away with massive energy balls.

Varenkoff flew across the mayhem and punched Adiraan in the chest, knocking him down into the lava. He fell in but flew back up, smiling as his energy shield protected him and radiated a shiny crimson light. The lava, still attached to the shield, dripped off slowly.

Irritated by Adiraan’s taunting smile, Varenkoff concentrated all his strength and energy into his weapon to create an effective blow. The energy around the sword formed slowly as sparks of light surrounded the weapon. The Rebel general dashed at Adiraan but bounced of the reddish energy shield and fell back. Adiraan laughed, his sharp white teeth shining. His long dark red hair blew across his face as the wind from the east moved with raging force. “Look upon your destruction, Varenkoff!” he said as he pointed at the ongoing battle below.

“You’re wrong!” Varenkoff said. “It’s time for Aidan to rule in a new order!” “Aidan is but a child compared to Lord Anaxagoras! No one can replace our king!” Varenkoff darted at Adiraan’s stomach and their haphazard battle continued.

Just beneath them, John Howe and his army were nearing defeat. The general decided to call for reinforcements. He knew of another battalion fighting out in the Gobi Desert, led by General Jarad Hameed. If they were still alive, he could call them to come and help. But would it be too late by then? If they even managed to arrive, would his battalion already be destroyed? That’ll be a risk we will have to take.So he did what was necessary and radioed General Hameed.

The battle between Aidan and Anaxagoras grew fiercer. Their swords clashed with a fiery intensity that radiated sparks of hot light. The rapid clanging of metal upon metal resonated throughout the large hall.

Anaxagoras’s skills as a swordsman were the stuff of legend. His flawless reputation remained intact after numerous challenges from knights who were swiftly slain for their audacity. But Aidan too was a master swordsman. He had studied under the king and faced him in sparring matches. But all that was much earlier, before the war.

Once more, their swords collided, creating flashes of energy that blasted them to opposite sides of the room. The only thing on Aidan’s mind now was to destroy Anaxagoras. “You will pay for all the deaths you’ve caused, for all the pain you have brought upon the peoples of Migra and the Earth. I hate what you have done for us. It is a curse.” Aidan stopped and backed off when he was level with the king.

“How can you call this,” Anaxagoras charged up his right hand until energy formed around it, “a curse?” He threw the energy bolt at Aidan. The prophet backed away as the blast flew past his shoulder and hit the wall, which crumbled into pieces. Aidan soared towards the king, but Anaxagoras cast him aside into the debris. Aidan’s body was crushed as it hurtled into the rubble. His head started bleeding but he was still conscious. He glared at the king who landed softly on the ground and walked to him.

“Don’t forget this, oh wise king. I know your secret,” Aidan said.

The king halted. “No one can destroy me!”

“You will surely die.” He said. “For he is coming. The Falsifier is born!”

“What did you say?” Anaxagoras’s voice faltered for a moment.

Aidan laughed at the sudden weakness he saw in the king. He saw the end coming but was no longer afraid to die. In his mind’s eye he saw the savior of the humans and the vampires alike. Now he was ready to accept his death.

With one swift move, the king slashed his chest open. “I will be ready.” The king turned around, leaving his enemy to die and disappeared into a mist.