The Chamberlains: Chapter 1 - Unforseen

Chapter 1

Unforeseen

         Wars, I’ve been in a few. Plagues, I’ve witnessed several deaths. Living just one full life is enough, to just die from old age. That’s not the way it is for me or my family, as well as others. Some are here by choice, others, by chance. Myself, I’m uncertain of why, I just know that I am.

         But with my past experiences of war, greed of the human heart, disease-ridden landscapes, and with all of the years that I have put behind me, there’s nothing that could’ve prepared me for this night. What’s taking place here is more shocking than walking in on a bad dream. This is…unreal.

         Abagail grabbed my shoulder, tearing my eyes away from these fallen beings. “Vyncent, snap out of it!” Her words, I can hear them but I’m unable to comprehend. These flames, who or what is causing all of this mayhem. “Vyncent,” she snapped again.

         “I understand,” Too much do I understand. Follow their orders, keep whoever or whatever away from Veronica and her child until, until what? I have not a clue what they are trying to achieve. This is more like a violent childhood game of hide-and-seek. Kill or disable anyone or anything that gets in our path but it appears that someone has already beaten us to it.

         I nudged a charred cadaver with my loafer. “These things, they aren’t human, and they aren’t like us either. So what exactly are we dealing with?” They definitely don’t dress as sophisticated as our kind. Well, more or less than myself. They bare average street clothes, possibly taken from the homeless in this city or from someone as equally less fashionable.

         “Aldous,” Abagail hesitated for a moment. She gazed around the alley and began to whisper about our absent brother, “He’s not positive on the details of what’s happening here but I think it’s best if we move on. I’m certain that the law enforcement will be here and handle this situation.”

         “One can only hope. I don’t want our family’s name to be tarnished over this,” I noticed a scuff on my loafer from the cadaver, “mess. So let’s not linger.”

         “It’s all going to work out, one way or another. You know that to be true just as well as I.”

         She’s certain of that and I do know that it has to come together. With both heads of our family, Desiree and Veronica, feeling so strongly about this matter, it’s the only way. There’s no questioning, no second guessing. This is how we’ve come to operate.

         We fled the scene, attempting to bridge the gap between Veronica and us. But with every oddity and every view of rising smoke, it fills me with a strange sensation, one that I can’t shake. We came onto another strange scenario of fire and charred corpses which did nothing but slow us down. There seems to be a distraction at every turn. Possibly it’s this way to slow us down?

         Leaping up onto a fire escape, “What in the Hell is happening around here?” Abagail followed my lead. We took to the top of the building. The area appears to only be lit from the sporadic pattern of flames due to a total blackout. Other than the fiery-illumination, there are some lights from the fire trucks, police cars, and ambulances that appear to be keeping their distance. A wise choice for the humans I must say.

         They are cautiously fighting the raging fires, escorting civilians, and giving medical attention to those that are in need. But there are those that are working equally as hard or harder to create the havoc that has been wrought down below. Also they are hidden well from us and the humans. But through these streets, it’s definitely apparent they’re still around.

         “I’m uncertain.” Abagail took to the edge, overseeing the city. “How are we supposed to keep up or find Veronica in all of this?”

         Her gesture, her words are absolutely true. We’re running through a battlefield. There are unknown assailants that can be around any corner but with the lack of confrontations, it tells me that we’re farther than just a few steps behind. We’re possibly miles away from Veronica.

         The only good thing thus far is that there seems to be a clear shot to our destination. As long as it stays that way, we should be able to close the gap between us. But, “There’s another way.”

         “What’s on your mind Vyncent,” Abagail asked, still examining the streets and alleyways. “All we need to do is get ahead of the outbreak of fires.”

         “If we stay out of the streets, it’s likely that we’ll be away from whatever is happening down below.” What I have in mind may sound good to me but I know it’s not foolproof.

         Abagail whipped her head around, not giving me a chance to explain my plan, “We aren’t going from rooftop to rooftop. That’ll leave us completely exposed, like we are right now. Certainly you can come up with something better than that.”

         She has to be kidding. Abagail thinks I would devise a strategy as amateur as what she speaks of. “We catch up to whatever is starting these fires, on foot. Once that happens, we move through the buildings, not on top mind you. It’s simple as that.”

         “What about…”

         “Abagail,” I scoffed, “We’ll blend in with anyone who’s in hiding or left behind. We’ll go through windows, fire escapes, you name it, and we’ll make it happen.”

         “I hope you’re right.”

         I hope I am as well.

         The vile stench hangs thick in the air as we moved forward. This task would be a lot easier if we were able to pick up on Veronica’s, someone’s, anyone’s scent. Maybe that’s another one of their schemes, using this bizarre method to mask scents so we won’t be able to pick up on a trail.

         There’s no time dwell on it as sounds of a skirmish echoed through the streets. We’re getting closer now, too close. I jumped back just before a large wave of fire shot around the corner. It nearly incinerated us or even worse, my suit. The heat’s definitely too much to handle, especially for those like us.

         What can produce such a blast of fire in a blink of an eye and with such a destructive force? The blacktop is bubbling, the concrete is cracking, and even the lampposts are bending over as they continue to melt down. Anyone that may have been down that street, there’s no way that they could’ve survived.

         Abagail grasped my attention, “I think that now would be a good time to go along with your plan.”

         I nodded in agreement, taking towards a building that appears to have taken least amount of damage. I kicked open the door, testing to see if there were any fires inside, but something stopped me from entering. I can hear someone, not only moving from where the blast was, but actually talking. Could someone have survived?

         Abagail stood still; she can hear it as well.

         “They are no concern,” a young male’s voice said. “That’s right,” he continued, “this is the best method that we can muster in such a short notice.”

         Quickly, I rounded to corner to see no one, not a single soul.

         “Who was it,” Abagail asked, trailing behind.

         “I don’t know.” Scanning the area, I can only see the vast amount of destruction that’s left behind. There’s not a living soul in sight.

         “Was he talking to himself?” I don’t have the slightest clue but I answered back the best way that I can, with a shrug. “Maybe a cellphone,” she looked for a logical explanation but there’s nothing logical about this night.

         Why couldn’t have Veronica waited until the entire family was gathered together? What’s with her rushing through with this? Why is that child so damn important to create this much dismay in a well-populated city?

         I brushed the thoughts to the side. They know what’s best for the family. “Let’s go.”

         Tearing through an office building, up several flights of stairs, through a window, and into an adjacent building; we began to get a lead on whoever is fighting outside. Fire-flashes shone brightly through the windows as we continued.

         It’s strange; it’s not uncontrolled flames such as a wildfire or an explosion, not all of it at least. It’s almost as if the fire is being harnessed somehow. Not like a clumsy human weapon such as a flamethrower or a Molotov cocktail. No, this is something different.

         “We’re spotted,” Abagail shouted as we came crashing through another window.

         “Go,” I motioned her on. “Get to Veronica,” I adjusted my suit and tie, brushing off some of the dirt, so that I may be more presentable to my prey, “I’ve got this.”

         Two human-like creatures leapt up into the window. We’re five stories up; I can safely assume that these things are worthy opponents. They also appear to be in tattered rags, like the others that we’ve seen along the way.

         They began to speak to each other, in a language that I cannot comprehend. Granted, I may be immortal, but I haven’t taken the time out to learn every single solitary language. This sounds more along the lines of gibberish to me than an actual language anyway.

         “Poorly dressed, speaking in strange tongues, what is it you want?” I stood my ground, anticipating their possible points of attack.

         “He talks in the language of this land, yes,” one said, with its mouth moving strangely as it spoke.

         “He dresses not like those down below,” it hobbled closer towards me. “Is he as powerful, no? Yes?”

         “Speak clearly,” keeping focus on both of them, I barely noticed the fight that’s raging right outside this very building. “You’re becoming more of a nuisance.”

         “The child,” the other one said, “he does not have it.”

         “Get those two,” the young male’s voice from before, yelled outside the building.

         With screams of agony, both beings were somehow sucked right out of the window, and slammed into the neighboring building. Instantly they were engulfed in flames and dropped down to the ground like unwanted trash. Am I as powerful, they asked. I’m definitely not able to perform those kinds of feats.

         “Abagail,” her name slipped through my mind. I can’t leave her to become another casualty engulfed in flames. With what just happened, I know we’re way out of our league. Going in like this, ill prepared, it’s a damn fool’s move. We know of nothing of what we face!

         She’s not too far ahead. I can see where she’s been, broken windows are her trail of breadcrumbs. One building after another, I began gaining a lead on the fighting once more, only stopping to notice that the next building has no sign of an entry point from Abagail.

         “Abagail,” I called out to her.

         And with a soothing tone, her voice entered my mind, “I’m on the rooftop.”

         Not questioning why she’s there, even though we were both clear about not being out in the open, I made my way to the stairs. Seven, eight, nine stories up, and still going. The door’s already open and she isn’t alone.

         “Who’s this,” I charged in front of her, in defense. Unlike those things before, this person is more human than any other that we’ve encountered tonight, but something’s definitely off about him.

         His head bobbled a bit when looking around, as if his neck is broken, and his legs crackled while he took a couple steps forward. His heartbeat is faint and I’m curious at how this person is even standing, let alone still alive. He should either be dead or dying.

         “You aren’t going to like this,” Abagail’s word came through my mind once more.

         “Vyncent Chamberlain,” his voice, faint as a whisper. “You’re here too. So,” his grin sent a familiar chill down my spine, “what are Desiree and Veronica’s lackeys doing out on such a dreadful evening as this?”

         I should’ve known. Cecil Alkire, that bastard. It’s not actually him, he’s controlling a human body as one his puppets, that coward. He’s asking why we’re here but, “I should be asking you the same thing, Cecil.”

         “You haven’t dulled a bit, sharp as a tack. Not like your brother, mind you.”

         My brother, by blood, he’s not here. We would’ve known it by now from his recklessness and I’m glad for that. “Your family isn’t here I see.”

         “They aren’t far,” he gestured towards the inner-city, where things aren’t as, chaotic.

         Abagail took to my side, “Is this you’re doing? If so…”

         “Hush little darling.” His tone, not proper etiquette for the head of the Alkire family, but we should hear him out, for now. “I’m here merely to observe. It’s not every day that everyone gets in such an uproar and turns the human world upside down.”

         He’s right, their world is upside down. Besides the battle that’s still waging on, there’s now Cecil, using humans as his eyes and ears. “You don’t seem to have a problem with adding onto the humans’ dismay.”

         “What’s one more corpse onto the pile, hmm? Countless human lives have been lost already, strange creatures, stranger than us, have been roaming the city. A cleansing with force and fire has been put into motion and for what Vyncent? You tell me that!”

         Abagail’s words silently began filling my mind, “Don’t do it. He’s searching for evidence of our involvement, something to use against our family. If he can find a way to pin this on us, you know he won’t hesitate to do so.”

         “Just like you,” I smoothed out my sleeves, “we’re here merely to observe.”

         “Then shall we not observe together?” That damn bastard. We have to get to Veronica.

         If we make a run for it, he’ll know something’s up, and we definitely can’t trust his word. Cecil probably has a dozen of these mindless human puppets roaming around the city. He can take over any number of them at any given time and we would never know until it’s too late!

         But we don’t have time to just stand here and watch the fires till they burn out. He has to know this. He’s playing us for fools. He must have someone closer to Veronica than what we are.

         “Sorry Cecil but…” What the hell?

         “Do you feel that,” Abagail said, not in my mind this time, out loud, frightened. She grabbed ahold of my jacket sleeve, trying to gain her balance.

         Cecil’s puppet stumbled around and fell to the ground, “Why her? Mother, why now?” His puppet’s heartbeat stopped. It took its last breath and Cecil is no longer in control and so the human puppet passed on.

         Mother, what’s he talking about? His mother has probably been dead for centuries now. Wait, he doesn’t mean, can he?

         “It can’t be,” I caught a glimpse down in an alley.

         A woman, with fiery red hair, stood silently as she pierced one of those creatures through its chest with only a couple of her fingers. And what’s this? A young man, a boy; he appeared out of thin air! Is he the one we heard earlier in the street, with her?

         Time suddenly shifted around us, feeling different somehow. I began to get lightheaded, trying to gain my bearings. What did I just feel? There are no words that I can think of to explain this sensation.

         Looking down the alley once more, they’re both gone and the battle that was fiercely being waged only a few streets away, seems to have stopped. The fires still raged but those whom caused it have either left or are in hiding.

         The wars I have fought in, the plagues that I have endured, and the death of loved ones that have come and gone throughout my life; nothing has prepared me for this night. Nothing has prepared me to witness…

         “It was our mother.”